Photo of Martina Vidaic

Martina Vidaić was born in Zadar, Croatia on February 19, 1986. She graduated in Croatian language and literature at the University of Zadar. In 2011 she won the most important national poetry award – the Goran prize for young poets and for that occasion her first book of poetry Era gmazova (Era of the Reptiles) was published. Her poems have been published in several Croatian and international anthologies. In 2016 her collection Tamni čovjek Birger (Dark Man Birger) was published. Her next poetry book Mehanika peluda (Pollen Mechanics) was published in 2018 and awarded for the best poetry book written in Croatian in two years period. Her first novel Anatomija štakora (Anathomy of Rats) was published in 2019 and was acclaimed by the critics and well accepted by the readers in Croatia. Her next poetry book Trg, tnica, nož (Square, Market, Knife) published in 2021 won Janko Polić Kamov Award. Her latest book is the novel Stjenice (Bedbugs) published in November 2021.

© Picture Nikola Kupresanin

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Stjenice (Bedbugs)

A young architect deals with the loss of her partner writing a letter. In the letter, i.e. entire novel the protagonist reflects her story walking around the city rethinking the ugliness of the streets, meeting unknown people, remembering some situations and details from her previous life. After losing perspective in Zagreb she returns to her family, to her hometown where she meets her dying mother and complicated family relationships. The narrator, with her fine psychology and sharp eye, pictures details of the surrounding spaces, houses, streets and human characters whose destinies are presented through tiniest detailed excerpts and peculiar life scenes.  Same as the protagonist, the reader continuously asks questions: how to face life in its complexity and how to arrange the world to avoid things which would hurt us. The names of the main characters – the protagonist whose surname Hrabrov means “courage” and the addressee named Hladna – Cold – lecture what to do knowing that all the people are deeply cold and unable to help anyone else but him/herself. We are alone and we recognize the same loneliness within our family, friends, everyone.  And there are also reflections of that loneliness in the entire material world around us. 

Photo of the cover of the book "Stjenice"

Agent / Rights Director

Publishing House

Ivana Ljevak
Trg bana Josipa Jelačića 17
10000 Zagreb
Croatia

+385 1 4804 002