16.6.2011
Olja Savičević Ivančević won the roman@tportal.hr award for the best Croatian novel in 2010 for her novel “Adio kauboju” (Goodbye Cowboy) published by Algoritam. The most lucrative literary prize in Croatia in the net amount of as much as HRK 100,000 was presented to her at the last night's ceremony held in the Europa Cinema. The award was established four years ago by www.tportal.hr, one of the most visited Internet portals, which recognized the importance of investment into culture and awarding of young writers.
From 50 applications sent to this year's competition the following five writers were shortlisted: Ludwig Bauer for his novel “Zavičaj, zaborav” (Homeland, Oblivion), Ana Bako for her novel “Jane Perkanova”, Mirjana Dugandžija for her novel “Nekoliko dana kolovoza” (A Few Days in August), Nada Gašić for her novel “Voda, paučina” (Water, Spiderweb) and Olja Savičević Ivančević for “Adio Kauboju” (Goodbye Cowboy).
The decision on the winner of the competition was made by a jury consisting of independent experts on literature: Tomislav Brlek (president), Gordan Duhaček, Ana Grbac, Katarina Luketić, Igor Mandić, Miroslav Mićanović and Jadranka Pintarić. Beside review and selection of the best novel, the jury participated in the project also by publishing articles on literature which can be found on tportal and on Facebook roman@tportal.hr.
This year's president of the jury Tomislav Brlek presented the award with the following explanation: In her novel “Goodbye Cowboy” Olja Savičević Ivančević depicts, through self-aware and impressive voice of the main character, Dalmatian hinterland, not only in geographical, but also in the intellectual sense. The writer shows that only a few people are courageous enough to escape from this mental prison and search for freedom. Unfortunately, the price is too high.
The novel “Goodbye Cowboy” reflects through its fragmentary structure the dissipated existence of the writer/main character and her attempts to give sense to life in searching for the supposed whole of things which shattered her life into pieces. By using the motifs of 'cowboy subculture' the writer strives to build a communication bridge to address the generation gap on one hand and to show behavior patterns which are actually global on the other hand. The suburban area in the south of the country becomes a scene from the paradigmatic Wild West with good and bad guys, outcasts and sheriffs. In a series of quick cuts Olja Savičević Ivančević provides the reader with an archetypal image of personal and family tragedy, abuse of power and the danger of shutting one's eyes to violence.
Olja Savičević Ivančević surpasses by this novel the longtime division into two mainstreams in recent Croatian novels, namely confessional and escapist prose and the prose of activism and reality. “Goodbye Cowboy” is distinguished from this year's novel production by the author's fresh style and committed theme appealing to different groups of readers“.
Alemka Lisinski, tportal editor-in-chief, commented on the importance of this competition and congratulated the winner: “First and foremost, I would like to thank sincerely all the writers who entered the competition, especially the winner and the finalists. Tportal has been striving year after year to popularize Croatian literature and support work of Croatian writers through the project roman@tportal.hr. We are particularly intent on promoting reading habits and motivating people to become literature fans.”
So far, the roman@tportal.hr award has been won by three writers. Last year, Sibila Petlevski won the award for her novel “Vrijeme laži” (Time of Lies) (Fraktura, 2009). In 2009, the award went to Drago Glamuzina and his novel “Tri” (Three) (Profil, 2008) and in 2008 to Dalibor Šimpraga and his novel “Anastazija” (Durieux, 2007).