UNDER DESANKA’S HAT

Forty-Fifth Anniversary Celebration of the Serbian-Canadian Association of Writers “DESANKA MAKSIMOVIĆ”

Our poets and writers celebrated the forty-fifth anniversary of their association “Desanka Maksimović” at a ceremony held on November 11, 2023, in the banquet hall of the church, Assembly of Serbian Saints in Mississauga.

At this magnificent ceremony, our hosts reminded us of the story of the association’s origin. How they were gathered forty-five years ago by the poet Desanka Maksimović, who came to visit Canada. Going back to Yugoslavia, she took with her the manuscripts of local poets in her suitcase, which were later published in the anthology “Domovino noćas sam te sanjao”, in 1980. That’s how it all started. During these past forty-five years, the association continuously gathered gifted writers and poets from the Serbian community in Canada and the USA, nurturing the written word and printing books in the Serbian language, receiving nu-merous awards and recognitions for their work and the presentation and affirmation of Serbian literature, as well as for preserving and nurturing our Cyrillic script and language in Canada.

In addition to numerous prominent guests, this meeting was also attended by the president of the Writers’ Association of Serbia, Miloš Janković, with whom the Collaboration Agreement between the Writers’ Association of Serbia and the Serbian-Canadian Writers’ Association Desanka Maksimović) was signed.

This created a formal circumstance for the institu-tional expansion of the collaboration, which was instated shortly after, on November 25, by the decision of the Writers’ Association of Serbia that the Desanka Maksimović Association from Toronto acquires the status as an official literary community/subsidiary of the association in dispersion, for the territory of Canada.

The Association of Writers of Serbia is the oldest, artistic organization in Serbia. It was founded in 1905. The Association’s first president was Simo Matavulj, and the first secretary was Jovan Skerlić. This notable association within the homeland was a great honor for the largest and longest-standing association of Serbian writers in the diaspora and caused great joy for our hosts, gathered under Desanka’s hat for the forty-fifth year.

Young folklorists from the Academy of Serbian Folk Dance “Marčetić” embellished this celebration with their energy and dance, alongside a well-orchestrated musical program, irresistible food, and beautiful cake, which was honorably cut by Katarina Kostić, the oldest member and “the pillar of strength of the association” as she presented it to Zorica Mišić, president of the Serbian-Canadian Writers’ Association.

Mrs. Kostić said, among other things, in her address at this gathering: “Poets are the most reliable guardians of language and writing because it is our daily bread.” Just as there is no life without air, there is no poetry without language. Poetry can only be written in the writer’s mother tongue - and for us, it is the beautiful Serbian language. This is the secret in Desanka Maksimović’s prose that she always revealed to us and that she bequeathed to us.”

Representatives of prominent Serbian cultural institutions attended the gathering. The Serbian National Academy, the Serbian Theater, the Serbian National Defense, the Fiddle Association, as well as representatives of Serbian humanitarian organizations and media in Canada, to whom the writers of the Desanka Maksimović Association presented charters for their contribution to the preservation of the Serbian language and culture. SAN magazine is very honored to be included in this select group.

During the entire evening, the beautiful poetry of Desanka Maksimović was enjoyed by all, even the children, which especially delighted everyone present. They give us hope that there will be someone to continue our legacy and keep our Serbian language and the Desanka Maksimović Association thriving for many more years!