Karim Zaimović (6 May 1971 – 13 August 1995) was a Bosnian writer, journalist and publicist, best remembered for his short story collection ''The Secret of Raspberry Jam''. He is considered one of the most talented writers from the wartime ex-Yugoslavian area. Zaimović died during the

Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...

as a result of injuries caused by Serbian mortar shells during the

Siege of Sarajevo The Siege of Sarajevo ( sh, Opsada Sarajeva) was a prolonged blockade of Sarajevo, the capital of Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the Bosnian War. After it was initially besieged by the forces of the Yugoslav ...

Biography

Zaimović was born in Sarajevo in 1971, the son of painter Mehmed Zaimović (1938–2011) and his wife Ašida. A lover of comic books, Zaimović began writing texts about them in his early teens. He started his journalism career at age 15, writing articles for

Radio Sarajevo Radio Sarajevo is a radio station and magazine that began airing 10 April 1945, four days after the liberation of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina near the end of World War II. It was Bosnia and Herzegovina's first radio station. The first words s ...

. Zaimović continued to be involved in the Bosnian-Herzegovinian journalism scene, contributing to daily newspapers and magazines like ''Naši dani'', ''Lica'', ''Vidici'', ''Quorum'', ''Kvadrat'', ''Patak'', ''

Slobodna Dalmacija ''Slobodna Dalmacija'' () is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Split. The first issue of ''Slobodna Dalmacija'' was published on 17 June 1943 by Tito's Partisans in an abandoned stone barn on Mosor, a mountain near Split, while the city ...

'', ''

Nedjeljna Dalmacija ''Nedjeljna Dalmacija'' was a Yugoslavian regional weekly newspaper based in Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our B ...

'', ''Književna revija'', ''

Mladina ''Mladina'' (English: Youth) is a Slovenian weekly left-wing political and current affairs magazine. Since the 1920s, when it was first published, it has become a voice of protest against those in power. Today, ''Mladinas weekly issues are di ...

'', ''

Start Start can refer to multiple topics: *Takeoff, the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground to flying through the air * Starting lineup in sports *Standing start, and rolling start, in an auto race Acronyms *St ...

'', ''Erasmus'', ''

Oslobođenje ''Oslobođenje'' (; 'Liberation') is a daily newspaper in Bosnia and Herzegovina based in the capital city Sarajevo. Founded on 30 August 1943, in the midst of World War II, on a patch of territory liberated by Partisans, in what was otherwise a ...

'', '' Večernje novine'', '' Avaz'', ''Ven'', ''Sineast'', ''Fantom slobode'', and '' Dani''. After graduating from high school at Sarajevo's Prva Gimnazija, Zaimović enrolled in the

Academy of Fine Arts The following is a list of notable art schools. Accredited non-profit art and design colleges * Adelaide Central School of Art * Alberta College of Art and Design * Art Academy of Cincinnati * Art Center College of Design * The Art Institute o ...

in Sarajevo. He later transferred to the University of Philosophy in Sarajevo to study comparative literature. Before the war, Zaimović worked for the magazine ''Dani'' as editor of the paper's culture section. Later, he created the culture magazine ''Fantom Slobode'' with

Semezdin Mehmedinović Semezdin Mehmedinović (born 1960 in Kiseljak is a Bosnian writer and magazine editor. After studying Librarianship and Comparative Literature in Sarajevo, he worked as an editor of "Lica" and "Valter" magazines, which served as a voice of opposi ...

, serving as editor in-chief. He was a regular contributor to Zid, an independent radio network, and contributed to Sarajevo-based television programs like TV Sarajevo and TV Radio Sarajevo. Zaimović wrote many short stories. During the war, he shared his stories on the air on his radio show. One of his notable works, ''The Secret of Raspberry Jam'', was a critically acclaimed collection of 11 short stories, published posthumously in 1997. The Belgian comic book artist

Hermann Huppen Hermann Huppen (born 17 July 1938) is a Belgian comic book artist. He is better known under his pen-name Hermann. He is most famous for his post-apocalyptic comic ''Jeremiah'' which was made into a television series. Biography Hermann was bo ...

dedicated his 1995 book '' Sarajevo Tango'' to Zaimović's memory. The American graphic novel author

Joe Kubert Joseph Kubert (; September 18, 1926 – August 12, 2012) was a Poland, Polish-born Americans, American comic book artist, art teacher, and founder of The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkm ...

has also dedicated his '' Fax from Sarajevo'' to Karim Zaimović. Zaimović's "The Secret Of Raspberry Jam" has been adapted for theatre. Zaimovic left behind a manuscript with two unfinished novels.

Works

*''Tajna džema od malina'' (1995)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaimovic, Karim 1971 births 1995 deaths Writers from Sarajevo Bosniaks of Bosnia and Herzegovina Civilians killed in the Bosnian War