Zlatko Topčić (born 30 April 1955) is a Bosnian

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

and

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire ...

. He has written a number of films, including: ''

Remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sam ...

'', '' The Abandoned'', ''

Miracle in Bosnia ''Miracle in Bosnia'' ( Bosnian: ''Čudo u Bosni'') is a 1995 Bosnian documentary film directed by Dino Mustafić and Danis Tanović, written by Zlatko Topčić, produced by Edin Lonić and Smail Tokić. It won the Special Award at the 1995 Canne ...

''; theater plays: ''

Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an engine ...

'', '' I Don't Like Mondays'', ''

Refugees A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

''; novels: '' The Final Word'', '' Dagmar'', '' June 28, 1914''. Topčić's works have been translated into twelve languages: English, German, French, Italian, Czech, Turkish, Polish, Swedish, Slovenian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Albanian, and included in several domestic and international anthologies. He is a member of the Association of Writers of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

PEN A pen is a common writing instrument that applies ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Early pens such as reed pens, quill pens, dip pens and ruling pens held a small amount of ink on a nib or in a small void or cavity wh ...

Center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Association of Filmmakers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, International Screenwriters Association,

American Screenwriters Association The American Screenwriters Association (ASA) is a community of screenwriters and filmmakers, sharing their combined knowledge of screenwriting and the movie industry. Its primary mission is to help emerging screenwriters hone their screenwriting ski ...

, Concordia Organization and the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House). In 2004, he was included on the annual ''

Marquis Who's Who in the World Marquis Who's Who ( or ) is an American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies. The books usually are entitled ''Who's Who in...'' followed by some subject, such as ''Who's Who in America'', ''Who's Who of American Wome ...

'' list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Early life and family

Topčić was born in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

on 30 April 1955. His father, Zaim Topčić (1920–1990), was also a writer. His mother, Naila (1925–2002), was a member of the Selimić family; her grandfather was Zaim-beg Selimić, a municipal councilor, landowner, benefactor and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

, who was the owner of the Kravica waterfall. He graduated from the

Law School A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

of the

University of Sarajevo The University of Sarajevo ( Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: ''Univerzitet u Sarajevu'' / Sveučilište u Sarajevu / Универзитет у Сарајеву) is a public university located in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the largest ...

. At the age of 17 and under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

Gold Taucher, Topčić began writing

crime novels Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...

and short stories, selling millions of copies.

Career

Theatrical work

Topčić has produced over forty plays, including ''The Frog'', which was adapted into a film in 2017, and ''Helver's Night'', internationally most awarded play in the history of Bosnian theater. He is the only author who thrice won the BZK Preporod Award for best dramatic text, for dramas ''Bare Skin'' (2006), ''Krokodil Lacoste / Silvertown'' (2010) and ''Nobody's and Everyone's'' (2017). Topčić's plays, which have been staged in Bosnian and international theaters, include ''Collapse'' (1986), ''Musa and the Goat'' (1993), ''Kulin Ban'' (1995), ''

Refugees A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

'' (1999), ''Plaza Hotel'' (2000), ''

'' (2002),

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

''Head-On'' (2004),

monodrama A monodrama is a theatrical or operatic piece played by a single actor or singer, usually portraying one character. In opera In opera, a monodrama was originally a melodrama with one role such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau's '' Pygmalion'', which w ...

''Pardon Asks Radivoje, Radivoje's Son'' (2006), ''Happy New 1994!'' (2006), ''Bare Skin'' (2007), '' I Don't Like Mondays'' (2009; directed by Christian Papke), '' Krokodil Lacoste / Silvertown'' (2011) and ''Puzzle Opera'' (2020). ''I Don't Like Mondays'' (2009) won the prestigious

Austrian Center Award. In 2010 the drama was published in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

by Der Österreichische PEN-Club,

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, and was printed in over eleven thousand copies. His play ''Time Out'' (2002; directed by James P. Mirrione) had its English premiere in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

at the

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochlai ...

and toured to the

Riverside Studios Riverside Studios is an arts centre on the banks of the River Thames in Hammersmith, London, England. The venue plays host to contemporary performance, film, visual art exhibitions and television production. Having closed for redevelopment ...

, the

West Yorkshire Playhouse Leeds Playhouse is a theatre in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Having originally opened in 1970 in a different location in Leeds, it reopened as West Yorkshire Playhouse, on Quarry Hill, in March 1990. After a refurbishment in 2018-20 ...

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...

, the

Royal Armouries Museum The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, is a national museum which displays the National Collection of Arms and Armour. It is part of the Royal Armouries family of museums, with other sites at the Royal Armouries' traditio ...

, Powerhouse 1, and

Bretton Hall Bretton Hall may refer to: *Bretton Hall, Flintshire, former fortified manor house on the England/Wales border *Bretton Hall, West Yorkshire, country house in West Yorkshire, England *Bretton Hall College Bretton Hall College of Education was a h ...

. Also, it was performed in the United States (

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

), Austria (

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

) and Poland (

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

Screenplays

Topčić wrote the screenplays for four

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

s: ''The Best Years Ever'' (1994), ''

'' (1995), ''I Respond to You, God'' (1996) and ''Blood and Musk'' (1997). He also wrote the screenplays for ''

'' (2003) and '' The Abandoned'' (2010). His script for ''Remake'' (published like a book in 2002) was awarded at the competition of the Ministry of Culture and won the Association of Filmmakers in Bosnia and Herzegovina Award for best original screenplay (1999). His script for ''The Abandoned'' (working title: ''Bare Skin'') was a winning (91 participants) at the first edition of CineLink, held as part of the 9th Sarajevo Film Festival (2003) and won the Best Screenplay Award at the 2011

Hollywood Film Festival The Hollywood Film Festival is an annual film festival that takes place in Los Angeles, California, USA. History The Hollywood Film Festival was established in 1997 by author and producer Carlos de Abreu and his wife, model Janice Pennington.P ...

. His films have been screened at numerous international film festivals, including:

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

International Film Festival Rotterdam The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) is an annual film festival held at the end of January in various locations in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Since its foundation in 1972, it has maintained a focus on independent and experimental f ...

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival ( cs, Mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary) is a film festival held annually in July in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival is one of the oldest in the world and has becom ...

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...

Locarno Festival The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, sh ...

New York Film Festival The New York Film Festival (NYFF) is a film festival held every fall in New York City, presented by Film at Lincoln Center (FLC). Founded in 1963 by Richard Roud and Amos Vogel with the support of Lincoln Center president William Schuman, i ...

Los Angeles Film Festival The LA Film Festival was an annual film festival that was held in Los Angeles, California, and usually took place in June. It showcased independent, international, feature, documentary and short films, as well as web series, music videos, epis ...

International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is the world's largest documentary film festival held annually since 1988 in Amsterdam. Over a period of twelve days, it has screened more than 300 films and sold more than 250,000 ti ...

, and many other.

Fiction

He has published a collections of stories: ''The Vital Question'' (1981), ''Fantastic Stories'' (1989), ''Ptica iz drugog jata / A Bird From Another Flock'' (bilingual edition; 1995), ''Bogomil Legends'' (1997) and ''Selected Stories'' (2000); such a novels as ''A Man From Nowhere'' (1986), ''Kulin'' (1994), ''

Nightmare A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety or great sadness. The dream may contain situations of ...

'' (1997), '' Bare Skin'' (2004), ''

Safet Sušić Safet "Pape" Sušić (; born 13 April 1955) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of TFF First League club Akhisarspor. He was a gifted midfielder known for his dribbling skills and technic ...

'' (2007), '' The Final Word'' (2011), '' Dagmar'' (2013), ''zavrsna.rijec@dagmar'' (2017), ''

Overture Overture (from French language, French ''ouverture'', "opening") in music was originally the instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Be ...

'' (2018) and '' June 28, 1914'' (2019, 2021). In 1998 he won the prestigious Annual Award of the Association of Writers of Bosnia and Herzegovina for his novel ''

'' (1997), which was translated into Turkish (''Saray Bosna da kabus'', Gendas,

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

, 1998) and

Slovenian Slovene or Slovenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Slovenia, a country in Central Europe * Slovene language, a South Slavic language mainly spoken in Slovenia * Slovenes, an ethno-linguistic group mainly living in Slovenia * Sl ...

(''Mora'', Založba Goga,

Novo Mesto Novo Mesto (; sl, Novo mesto; also known by other alternative names) is a city on a bend of the Krka River in the City Municipality of Novo Mesto in southeastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. The town is traditionally considered ...

, 2003). In 2014 he won the same award for novel '' Dagmar'' (2013) and became one of the few writers who have twice won this award (his father Zaim Topčić was also a double winner). Topčić's novel '' The Final Word'' (2011) received the Hasan Kaimija Award for best book published in 2011 and 2012, and the

Skender Kulenović Skender Kulenović (2 September 1910 – 25 January 1978) was a Yugoslav poet, novelist and dramatist. Biography Skender Kulenović was born in 1910 in the Bosnian town of Bosanski Petrovac (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), to Muslim ...

Award for best book published in 2011. It was translated into French (''Le mot de la fin'', M.E.O. Edition,

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, 2016) and was ranked first on several bestseller lists. '' Dagmar'', his 2013 novel, won the Fra Grgo Martić Award for best book of fiction published in 2013. It was translated into Czech (For Prague,

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

, 2017).

Other work

Topčić was a board member of the Open Society Foundation Bosnia and Herzegovina - Soros Foundation, worked on several

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

projects and is the founder of the Bosnian Tombstone Award and Nedžad Ibrišimović Award. He is one of the founders of the Association of Writers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 1993 to 2001 the first Secretary General and from 2006 to 2010 a board member. From 2001 to 2011 he was director and artistic director of the Chamber Theater 55. He was selector of the International Theatre Festival MESS, president and member of several juries, among others, Foundation for Cinematography jury member for film projects financing. From 2013 to 2016 he was general director of

TVSA TVSA or Televizija Kantona Sarajevo (Sarajevo Canton Television) is a public TV channel founded by Assembly of Sarajevo Canton. Headquarters of TVSA is located in capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo (along with national and entity l ...

. In 2016 he became director of the Library of Sarajevo. Topčić was a member of the Commission for Free Artists of Bosnia and Herzegovina, president of Arts Council of the

Sarajevo National Theatre The Sarajevo National Theatre ( Bosnian and Serbian: ''Narodno pozorište Sarajevo'', Народно позориште Сарајево, Croatian: ''Narodno kazalište Sarajevo'') was founded in November 1921. The opening ceremony was led by ...

from 2015 to 2019 and a member of Council of the BHRT Governing Board from 2019 to 2021.

Personal life

Topčić spent the entirety of 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 ...

. He was trapped in Grbavica (quarter of the city of Sarajevo) in 1993. Fifty years earlier (1943) his father Zaim Topčić (1920–1990) was trapped in the

Jasenovac concentration camp Jasenovac () was a concentration and extermination camp established in the village of the same name by the authorities of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) in occupied Yugoslavia during World War II. The concentration camp, one of the ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, as a communist. About these events, he wrote the screenplay for ''

''. He lives in Sarajevo with his wife Amela and his son Kerim.

Quotes

:"War is a war. Everywhere is hard and bloody, but the Balkans in it bring their coloring and passion. Someone happened to be on the right side. But, madam, be without worry: it is not so far a day when both sides will become the same and when it will not be known which side of the story is right." ::—In novel ''A Man From Nowhere'', 1986

Filmography

Theater plays

* ''Collapse'', 1986 * ''Musa and the Goat'', 1993 * ''Kulin Ban'', 1995 * ''Refugees'', 1999 * ''Plaza Hotel'', 2000 * ''Time Out'', 2002 * ''Head-On'', 2004 * ''Pardon Asks Radivoje, Radivoje's Son'', 2006 * ''Happy New 1994!'', 2006 * ''I Don't Like Mondays'', 2009 * ''Krokodil Lacoste / Silvertown'', 2011 * ''Puzzle Opera'', 2020

Radio dramas

* ''Happy New Year's Eve'', 1977 * ''Interview'', 1978 * ''Emergency Situation'', 1987 * ''Walk on the Tips of Your Fingers'', 1988 * ''Cesare Lombroso'', 1989 * ''Kulin'', 1990 * ''Lister's Machine'', 1991 * ''Musa and the Goat'', 1992 * ''Stanislavski Would Be Pleased'', 2007

Bibliography

Collections of stories

*''The Vital Question'', 1981 *''Fantastic Stories'', 1989 *''Ptica iz drugog jata / A Bird From Another Flock'', 1995 *''Bogomil Legends'', 1997 *''Selected Stories'', 2000

Novels

*''A Man From Nowhere'', 1986 *''Kulin'', 1994 *''

'', 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004 *'' Bare Skin'', 2004 *''

'', 2007 *'' The Final Word'', 2011 *'' Dagmar'', 2013 *''zavrsna.rijec@dagmar'', 2017 *''

'', 2018 *'' June 28, 1914'', 2019, 2021

Books of dramas

*''Collapse'', 1988 *''Plays'', 1995 *''Refugees'', 1999 *''Time Out'', 2001 *''Eight Pieces'', 2005 *''Bare Skin'', 2007 *''I Don't Like Mondays'', 2010 *''Krokodil Lacoste / Silvertown'', 2016 *''Angry Men'', 2016 *''Nobody's and Everyone's'', 2019

Awards

*The Award at an anonymous competition of

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 ...

for radio drama ''Interview'', 1978 *The Award at an anonymous competition of Radio Sarajevo for radio drama ''Emergency Situation'', 1987 *The Annual Award of the Association of Writers of Bosnia and Herzegovina for best book published in 1997 for novel ''

'', 1998 *The Association of Filmmakers in Bosnia and Herzegovina Award for screenplay ''A Man From Nowhere'' (''

''), 1999 *The Award of the Ministry of Culture for screenplay ''Remake'', 1999 *The Award of the Ministry of Culture for drama ''

'', 2000 *The CineLink Award ( Sarajevo Film Festival) for screenplay ''Bare Skin'' ('' The Abandoned''), 2003 *The Award of magazine TmačaArt for best drama ''Head-On'', 2004 *The Award of magazine TmačaArt for best drama ''Happy New 1994!'', 2004 *The Award for best dramatic text at the Festival of Bosnian-Herzegovinian Theaters for drama ''Head-On'', 2004 *The BZK Preporod Award for best dramatic text '' Bare Skin'', 2006 *The Award at an anonymous competition of Radio Sarajevo for radio drama ''Stanislavski Would Be Pleased'', 2007 *The Award for best contemporary text at the Theatre Games for drama ''Happy New 1994!'', 2007 *The

Austrian Center Award for drama '' I Don't Like Mondays'', 2009 *The BZK Preporod Award for best dramatic text '' Krokodil Lacoste / Silvertown'', 2010 *The Award for best contemporary text at the Theatre Games for drama '' Krokodil Lacoste / Silvertown'', 2011 *The Best Screenplay Award at the

Transilvania International Film Festival The Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF; ro, Festivalul internațional de film Transilvania) is the first international feature film festival in Romania, which is held annually in the historic capital of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca. Found ...

for '' The Abandoned'', 2011 *The Best Screenplay Award at the Golden Carpathian Film Festival for '' The Abandoned'', 2011 *The Best Screenplay Award at the

for '' The Abandoned'', 2011 *The

Award for best book published in 2011 for novel '' The Final Word'', 2012 *The Hasan Kaimija Award for best book published in 2011 and 2012 for novel '' The Final Word'', 2012 *The Fra Grgo Martić Award for best book of fiction published in 2013 for novel '' Dagmar'', 2013 *The Annual Award of the Association of Writers of Bosnia and Herzegovina for best book published in 2013 for novel '' Dagmar'', 2014 *The BZK Preporod Award for best dramatic text ''Nobody's and Everyone's'', 2017 *The Award of the Publishing Foundation for best book for novel ''June 28, 1914'', 2021 *The 25 November Award for the book of the year for novel ''June 28, 1914'', 2022

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Topcic, Zlatko 1955 births Living people Bosniaks of Bosnia and Herzegovina Writers from Sarajevo University of Sarajevo alumni Bosniak writers Bosnia and Herzegovina screenwriters Male screenwriters Bosnia and Herzegovina dramatists and playwrights Bosnia and Herzegovina novelists Bosnia and Herzegovina short story writers 20th-century novelists 21st-century novelists Bosnia and Herzegovina male writers