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Ethnic Studies, Balkan Studies, Baltic Studies, Slavic Studies, Yugoslavia, Romani Studies, and 35 moreNationalism, National Identity, Ethnology of the Balkans, Race and Ethnicity, Czech & Slovak Studies, Yugoslavia (History), South East European Studies, Comparative Literature, Literary Theory, Central and Eastern Europe, Gypsies, Roma and Sinti in Europe, Self and Identity, World Literatures, Narratology, Theory of the Novel, Theory of literature, European literature, Ottoman Balkans, Balkan History, Nordic History, Scandinavian history, Scandinavian Studies, Nordic Studies, History of Iceland, Ethnicity, Identity politics, Gypsies & Travellers, Romany Studies, Roma, Gypsy Studies, Gypsy Anthropology, Indigenous Languages, Descriptive Linguistics, Language Documentation, Indigenous Languages, Sociolinguistics, Field Linguistics, and Language revitalization edit
A collection of selected short stories by six Roma/Gypsy authors translated into Icelandic. Authors: Georgiy Tsvetkov, Ilona Ferková, Jess Smith, Jor¬ge Em¬ilio Nedich, Jov¬an Ni-kolić and Matéo Max¬imoff. Translations done by Renata... more
A collection of selected short stories by six Roma/Gypsy authors translated into Icelandic. Authors: Georgiy Tsvetkov, Ilona Ferková, Jess Smith, Jor¬ge Em¬ilio Nedich, Jov¬an Ni-kolić and Matéo Max¬imoff. Translations done by Renata Em¬il¬son Peskova, Re¬bekka Þrá¬ins-dótt¬ir, Krist¬ín Guðrún Jóns¬dótt¬ir, Irena Guðrún Kojic and Ásdís Rósa Magnús¬dótt¬ir. The collections begins with peer-reviewed introduction entitled “A Rom searches for a place under the Sun”: Romani history and literature by Sofiya Zahova and Ásdís Rósa Magnús¬dótt-ir and concludes with an afterword by Ian Hancock.
Smásögur eftir Georgí Tsvetkov, Ilonu Ferková, Jess Smith, Jorge Emilio Nedich, Jovan Nikolic og Matéo Maximoff. Þýðendur: Renata Emison Peskova, Rebekka Þráinsdóttir, Kristín Guðrún Jónsdóttir, Irena Guðrún Kojic og Ásdís Rósa Magnúsdóttir. Eftirmáli: Ian Hancock. Ritstjór¬ar: Sofiya Zahova, Kristín Guðrún Jónsdóttir og Ásdís Rósa Magnúsdóttir.
Smásögur eftir Georgí Tsvetkov, Ilonu Ferková, Jess Smith, Jorge Emilio Nedich, Jovan Nikolic og Matéo Maximoff. Þýðendur: Renata Emison Peskova, Rebekka Þráinsdóttir, Kristín Guðrún Jónsdóttir, Irena Guðrún Kojic og Ásdís Rósa Magnúsdóttir. Eftirmáli: Ian Hancock. Ritstjór¬ar: Sofiya Zahova, Kristín Guðrún Jónsdóttir og Ásdís Rósa Magnúsdóttir.
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The book focuses on the early period of Roma publishing (from the nineteenth century until the Second World War) when the first original texts, fiction and media publications authored by Roma appeared. Based on extensive archival and... more
The book focuses on the early period of Roma publishing (from the nineteenth century until the Second World War) when the first original texts, fiction and media publications authored by Roma appeared.
Based on extensive archival and historical research, including the discovery of earlier, up to now unknown sources, the literary activities of Roma in Central, South-eastern and Eastern Europe are discussed in their historical context and interrelation with the birth of the Roma emancipatory movement. Romani literature and press are thus embedded in the history and literary studies of the European national literatures.
Based on extensive archival and historical research, including the discovery of earlier, up to now unknown sources, the literary activities of Roma in Central, South-eastern and Eastern Europe are discussed in their historical context and interrelation with the birth of the Roma emancipatory movement. Romani literature and press are thus embedded in the history and literary studies of the European national literatures.
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The book provides very short historical overview of Romani literature in the context of national, regional, and transnational developments. The edition is richly illustrated with book covers presenting various genre and language... more
The book provides very short historical overview of Romani literature in the context of national, regional, and transnational developments. The edition is richly illustrated with book covers presenting various genre and language publications and is accompanied by a CD containing interactive presentation of selected books for children from different countries.
Those who wish to obtain a copy should contact the author.
Those who wish to obtain a copy should contact the author.
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Preparation for publication, translation and scientific commentary on archival materials presenting Romani activism in Interwar Yugoslavia as part of the volume Roma Voices in History edited by Elena Marushiakova and Vesselin Popov.
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This article’s first part provides accounts of graphic narrative production in the context of the historical development of Romani literature in Eastern Europe. The author claims that, similarly to other kinds of Romani literature... more
This article’s first part provides accounts of graphic narrative production in the context of the historical development of Romani literature in Eastern Europe. The author claims that, similarly to other kinds of Romani literature production, various factors intersect in the creation of graphic narratives. Prominent examples of such factors include the (Romani) identity politics of individual states and/or pro-Romani organizations; the national and regional development of graphic narratives; and the individual agency of Romani and non-Romani authors. The article’s second part discusses stories and themes in graphic narratives which are either related to Romani people, Romani history or written/produced by/with Roma. This study examines not only graphic novels in book format, but a wide corpus of published materials, including comics in periodicals; translations; testimonies/oral history pieces; and online publications in which Roma are co-authors or co-creators.
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The only Romani newspaper of interwar Yugoslavia, Romano lil/Ciganske novine (the latter meaning 'Gypsy newspaper' in Serbian), was published in Belgrade in 1935 comprising only three monthly issues. The most prominent Yugoslav Romani... more
The only Romani newspaper of interwar Yugoslavia, Romano lil/Ciganske novine (the latter meaning 'Gypsy newspaper' in Serbian), was published in Belgrade in 1935 comprising only three monthly issues. The most prominent Yugoslav Romani activist of the time, Svetozar Simić, was the editor of the newspaper, giving tribute to his visions of what Roma should do for the prosperity of their own community. In terms of content, the newspaper articles seem to be strategically thought-out with the aim of creating a narrative about the Roma, as people united by common culture and historical memory, equal to the other people of the Yugoslav Kingdom, who needed to be included in all processes of the social and public sphere. This article looks into the essence of some messages that the newspaper conveys regarding Roma's social inclusion, such as (1) education and professional training as a key for a better future, (2) the need for Roma to be more engaged and to self-organise as a community and (3) the fight against majority misconceptions about the Gypsies. The article presents and analyses these three elements of Svetozar Simić's visions for Romani social inclusion as presented in his editorial pieces. The analysis also pays attention to the resemblances between some of the main messages of the Romani activism in the interwar period and the activism for Roma inclusion in later periods, including parallels during the time of Yugoslav Socialism and the period of democratic transition up until today.
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Since the late 1990s and particularly after 2000, Romani literature has been characterised in part by the influence of international and global developments within the Romani movement as well as the growth of digital technologies and the... more
Since the late 1990s and particularly after 2000, Romani literature has been characterised in part by the influence of international and global developments within the Romani movement as well as the growth of digital technologies and the internet. Romani publications are going digital in different formats, including the digitisation of public domain materials, e-books, audiobooks, internet publishing and social media publishing. This article discusses how digital technologies have been incorporated in Romani literature production and proposes a typology of the digital forms of Romani literature. It also provides an analysis of the issues and challenges that are observed in Romani digital publishing, some of which are specifically related to this type of publishing, while others apply to Romani literature in general.
Key words: Romani literature, Roma authors, digitisation, globalisation, online publishing, e-books, audiobooks, digital literature
Key words: Romani literature, Roma authors, digitisation, globalisation, online publishing, e-books, audiobooks, digital literature
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Research Interests:
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This chapter proposes a four-stage periodization of Romani language literature development. It provides a basis for analysing how national context(s) and transnational actors have influenced Romani language literature production. It is... more
This chapter proposes a four-stage periodization of Romani language literature development. It provides a basis for analysing how national context(s) and transnational actors have influenced Romani language literature production. It is suggested that prior to the 1990s, these developments were confined to the borders of individual states, while the Romani literature scene has become international and has even more recently gone digital. Romani language book production has also been influenced by the identity politics of the international Romani movement and pro-Romani international organizations. A review of theoretical approaches to Romani language literature and existing scholarship on both Romani publications and Roma authors suggests that today we may speak about Romani language literature as a heterogeneous but unified transnational phenomenon.
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The article makes an overview of the groups labelled as Gypsy/Roma and the minority policies related to Roma in present day Montenegro, and discusses how-in view of the processes in the region and in the course of the state's... more
The article makes an overview of the groups labelled as Gypsy/Roma and the minority policies related to Roma in present day Montenegro, and discusses how-in view of the processes in the region and in the course of the state's EU-integrationthe top-down approach of adopting definitions centred on the terms "Roma and Egyptians" and "Roma" have influenced the state politics of identity regarding supporting and promoting new identities, as well as reinforcing the label "Roma" and "Romani" for all communities considered of common (Gypsy/Roma) origin. Further on, the impact of the EU-integration discourse on legislation and setting up Romani and Egyptian organizations is discussed within the public policies sector. Finally, I discuss initiatives and resources for publishing in Romani language in a country where a great part of the groups considered being of Romani origin speak another language as a mother tongue. My main argument is that the minority protection EU-conditionality and the special focus on the rights of the Roma, have led to an "import" of Roma issues for "solving", along with copy-pasting of activities that supposedly aim to flag Romani identity and language even though neither Romani identity nor Romani language are characteristic for all communities labelled as "Roma".
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The article discusses the interrelation between Romani literature (works by Roma authors) and the memory politics of the Romani movement in contemporary European context. On the example of books for Romani children and young adults... more
The article discusses the interrelation between Romani literature (works by Roma authors) and the memory politics of the Romani movement in contemporary European context. On the example of books for Romani children and young adults produced in Europe in the last decade, I analyse narratives about the Roma commonly met in these works. I investigate how these narratives correspond to the ideas of the Roma as a nation in the discourse of the Romani political activism. Some of the core ideas of the Romani international movement about the Roma as a nation/people with shared past and common symbols are already embedded in the written literature directed to Roma and non-Roma audiences.
Key words: Romani literature, identity, IRU, nation-building process, Sweden, Poland
Key words: Romani literature, identity, IRU, nation-building process, Sweden, Poland
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The Montenegrin official national costume (known also as Njegoševa nošnja or the Costume of Njegos), and the Montenegrin hat as an integral part of it, are considered to be an important ethno-cultural marker for Montenegrins. They are the... more
The Montenegrin official national costume (known also as Njegoševa nošnja or the Costume of Njegos), and the Montenegrin hat as an integral part of it, are considered to be an important ethno-cultural marker for Montenegrins. They are the subject of special attention from the very first ethnographic records on Montenegro, and later in Yugoslav ethnology. Nowadays, the interpretation of national symbols of ethnic belonging related to the Montenegrin costume presents the two major scientific concepts of the genesis and identity of Montenegrins: one a pro-Serbian and the other a Montenegrin.
This paper provides both an overview and an analysis of the ethnographic
and historic scientific works on the Montenegrin costume, which view the costume as a marker of ethnic identity and national belongingness and from which two clear opposing positions can be identified. The dominating position (and chronologically the earliest) claims that the Montenegrin people are part of the Serbian national corpus, while the other states that the Montenegrins have had an autonomous and distinct historical and ethno-cultural development since medieval times. Since national costumes are usually seen as means to affirm national identity and are in the “register” of national symbols, the article examines the scientific publications on the symbolic meanings of the Montenegrin costume in light of the wider context of interpretation of Montenegrin history and culture and their elements as ethno-cultural markers for Serbian or Montenegrin identity amongst the Montenegrin people.
Key words: Montenegro, national building, festive costume(s),
Yugoslav ethnography
This paper provides both an overview and an analysis of the ethnographic
and historic scientific works on the Montenegrin costume, which view the costume as a marker of ethnic identity and national belongingness and from which two clear opposing positions can be identified. The dominating position (and chronologically the earliest) claims that the Montenegrin people are part of the Serbian national corpus, while the other states that the Montenegrins have had an autonomous and distinct historical and ethno-cultural development since medieval times. Since national costumes are usually seen as means to affirm national identity and are in the “register” of national symbols, the article examines the scientific publications on the symbolic meanings of the Montenegrin costume in light of the wider context of interpretation of Montenegrin history and culture and their elements as ethno-cultural markers for Serbian or Montenegrin identity amongst the Montenegrin people.
Key words: Montenegro, national building, festive costume(s),
Yugoslav ethnography
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Статията прави кратък исторически преглед на развитието на ромските публикации в европейски контекст, като акцентира върху процесите в различните държави и техните политики по отношение на ромската литература. За тези цел най-подходящ е... more
Статията прави кратък исторически преглед на развитието на ромските публикации в европейски контекст, като акцентира върху процесите в различните държави и техните политики по отношение на ромската литература. За тези цел най-подходящ е подходът на преплетената история, защото тенденциите в развитието на ромската литература са свързани с конкретните политики на идентичност (по-общи или конкретно насочени към ромите) в различни исторически периоди и региони. Подобно на повечето литературни феномени произведенията на ромската литература следва да се разглеждат в техния контекст. Ето защо е необходимо да се очертаят историческите процеси и тенденциите в развитието на ромската литература, както и ключовите фактори и политики, които влияят върху създаването й.
The article (written in Bulgarian) makes a brief historical review of the development of Roma publications in the countries in Eastern Europe by emphasizing the processes in each country and the interrelations between their policies regarding the Roma culture and the Roma literary production. The aim of the article is to show that the development of Roma literature is related to the political, social and cultural context in the country or region of its creation. The comparative historical approach is the most appropriate for the purpose since the tendencies in the development of the Roma literature are related to the policies of identity (in general or directed to the Roma population) in different historical periods and regions.
The article (written in Bulgarian) makes a brief historical review of the development of Roma publications in the countries in Eastern Europe by emphasizing the processes in each country and the interrelations between their policies regarding the Roma culture and the Roma literary production. The aim of the article is to show that the development of Roma literature is related to the political, social and cultural context in the country or region of its creation. The comparative historical approach is the most appropriate for the purpose since the tendencies in the development of the Roma literature are related to the policies of identity (in general or directed to the Roma population) in different historical periods and regions.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The article discusses the phenomena of marriageable age and early marriages among Romani girls in Bulgaria. It endeavors to identify the main factors related to these phenomena, and discusses what contributes to maintaining or changing of... more
The article discusses the phenomena of marriageable age and early marriages among Romani girls in Bulgaria. It endeavors to identify the main factors related to these phenomena, and discusses what contributes to maintaining or changing of the practice of early marriages. The article reveals the national trends from the last two decades regarding age at marriage showing a clear tendency of increase. As in the institutional discourse the Romani girls’ drop-outs before graduating compulsory education is explained by the ‘tradition of Roma to get their daughters married early’ the article also discusses does a drop out of school necessarily mean early marriage conclusion. It proposes a typology of three practices regarding marriageable age and educational level, providing examples from Romani groups.
Key words: Roma, education, early marriages, Romani culture, Bulgaria
Key words: Roma, education, early marriages, Romani culture, Bulgaria
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In the course of political changes in the territory of former Yugoslavia and on the way to state independence, the Slavic-speaking Muslims in Montenegro underwent identity shifts. The Bošnjak identity is already dominant among the... more
In the course of political changes in the territory of former Yugoslavia and on the way to state independence, the Slavic-speaking Muslims in Montenegro underwent identity shifts. The Bošnjak identity is already dominant among the community and over the last 20 years there have been intense discussions among the elites regarding the terms “Bošnjak” and “Muslim”. Montenegrin identity policies also have their impact and a steady trend during the last decade is the growth of the number of “Montenegrin Muslims” and “Montenegrins with Muslim religion”. The community agrees that the issue is not about its unity, but about the definitions to describe it. There are certain markers of identity that signify symbolic borders within the community, and Bošnjaks would opt for mother state and mother tongue different from the Muslims, and would assess the socialist period in different way. The regional identity however remains an important and steady phenomenon.
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Montenegro was the last former republic of socialist Yugoslavia that declared independence in 2006. Despite this late political emancipation, since the mid 1990s and particularly since the end of the XX c. one can observe the development... more
Montenegro was the last former republic of socialist Yugoslavia that declared independence in 2006. Despite this late political emancipation, since the mid 1990s and particularly since the end of the XX c. one can observe the development of clearly articulated state- and nation-building project led by politicians and supported by scholars and intellectuals of the new Montenegrin school. The proposed article presents the means by which the national identity is shaped and constructed by looking at three fields: scholars’ publication on Montenegrin history and ethno-culture, standardization of the Montenegrin language (and its application in education and state institutions), and new history textbooks in schools. The analysis is overarched by reflection on the key role of intellectual elites in constructing the national identity and draws the trends for the development of the domains of language and history in the context of state building in Montenegro today.
Key words: Montenegrin identity, nation-building, historiography, education, politics of identity.
Key words: Montenegrin identity, nation-building, historiography, education, politics of identity.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The Bulgarian Gypsies are part of the economically motivated migrations from Bulgaria toward countries of the EU after 1989. In some cases they are even among the first Bulgarian citizens settled as labour migrants in a state, region of... more
The Bulgarian Gypsies are part of the economically motivated migrations from Bulgaria toward countries of the EU after 1989. In some cases they are even among the first Bulgarian citizens settled as labour migrants in a state, region of city. The article focuses on the process of labour migration and realization in Italy characteristic for members of two Gypsy groups from Bulgaria – Kalajdžii (from Vidin, Northwest Bulgaria) and Rudari (from Varna region, Northeast Bulgaria). The process of migration and its effects are revealed in comparison for the two groups as well as in the general context of the labour migrations from Bulgaria. A high degree of national identity is observed among the groups in migration. It is expressed by identification with Bulgaria and participation in networks that unite all migrants with Bulgarian citizenship. At the same time the groups keep their group ethnic identity by distinction from the other groups, maintaining of contacts within the group and endeavor to observe endogamy.
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The article reviews and analyzes the scientific arguments of two opposing theories in contemporary humanitarian studies – the first one – the Montenegrins are part of the Serb national corps and the evidence of their Serbian national... more
The article reviews and analyzes the scientific arguments of two opposing theories in contemporary humanitarian studies – the first one – the Montenegrins are part of the Serb national corps and the evidence of their Serbian national identity are „the Njegosev folk costume“ and the Montenegrin hat and the second one – the costume and the hat have antique genesis and are a continuation of the Montenegrin statehood, independence and struggle. The ethno-symbolic approach is applied in the analysis and according to this approach the nationalism is „nourished“ by myths, memories, traditions and symbols of the ethnic heritage and the ways in which the folk life is rediscovered and interpreted by the contemporary (of the national movement) intelligentsia. In this case the author reviews the meaning of „the Njegosev costume“ and its interpretations in science as a symbol of the national identity in Montenegro. The article analyses works on the Montenegrin folk costume, sources from the political and daily discourse as sources collected during field work in Montenegro carried out in the period 2008-2010 as part of the author’s dissertation work – „The identity dynamics in Montenegro“.
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Zahova, Sofiya. 2013. Gypsies/Roma in Montenegro: Group Identity and the role of language - In: Schrammel-Leber, Barbara and Barbara Tiefenbacher, eds. Romani V. Papers from the Annual Meeting of the Gypsy Lore Society, Graz 2011. Grazer... more
Zahova, Sofiya. 2013. Gypsies/Roma in Montenegro: Group Identity and the role of language - In: Schrammel-Leber, Barbara and Barbara Tiefenbacher, eds. Romani V. Papers from the Annual Meeting of the Gypsy Lore Society, Graz 2011. Grazer Romani Publikationen 2. Graz: Grazer Linguistische Monographie, 81-96.
This article presents a general picture of the groups with Roma/Gypsy origin in Montenegro and focuses on their identity narratives. I am interested in the perceived identity markers that are used to differentiate groups. In this context of identification and differentiation, special attention is paid to the role that language plays as an identity marker because among all Gypsy/Roma groups, with both Romani and non-Romani identity, the mother tongue common for the communities’ members is one of the most significant markers. The article also demonstrates that in most cases, speaking the language of the surrounding population is related to identity shift, as a declaration of another ethnic/national affiliation or the creation of a new (Egyptian) ethnic identity.Not speaking the Romani language is not necessarily related to a lack of Romani identity,and there is a clearly articulated Romani identity without actual use of Romani as a means for communication.
This article presents a general picture of the groups with Roma/Gypsy origin in Montenegro and focuses on their identity narratives. I am interested in the perceived identity markers that are used to differentiate groups. In this context of identification and differentiation, special attention is paid to the role that language plays as an identity marker because among all Gypsy/Roma groups, with both Romani and non-Romani identity, the mother tongue common for the communities’ members is one of the most significant markers. The article also demonstrates that in most cases, speaking the language of the surrounding population is related to identity shift, as a declaration of another ethnic/national affiliation or the creation of a new (Egyptian) ethnic identity.Not speaking the Romani language is not necessarily related to a lack of Romani identity,and there is a clearly articulated Romani identity without actual use of Romani as a means for communication.
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Karadag, 2006 yilinda ozgurlugunu ilan ederek dagilmis sosyalist Yugoslavya cumhuriyetleri icinde en son meydana cikan devlet olmustur. Politik ozgurlukteki bu gec kalmisliga ragmen, 1990 ortalarindan ve ozellikle 20. Yuzyil sonlarindan... more
Karadag, 2006 yilinda ozgurlugunu ilan ederek dagilmis sosyalist Yugoslavya cumhuriyetleri icinde en son meydana cikan devlet olmustur. Politik ozgurlukteki bu gec kalmisliga ragmen, 1990 ortalarindan ve ozellikle 20. Yuzyil sonlarindan itibaren; akademisyenler ve Karadag aydinlarinin destegi ve politikacilarin calismalariyla saglanan iyi tanimlanmis devlet ve ulus insasi projesinin gelisimini gormek mumkundur. Bu calismanin amaci; Karadag ulusal kimligin sekillenmesini ve gelisimini uc alanda analiz ederek gostermektir: Karadag tarihi ve etnik kulturu ile ilgili akademik yayinlar; Karadag dilinin standardizasyonu ve son olarak dilin egitimde, kamu kurumlarinda ve yeni tarih kitaplarinda uygulanmasi. Analizleri entelektuel seckinlerin ulusal kimligin olusmasinda kilit rol oynamasi sekillendirmistir ve gunumuz Karadag’inda dilin etkilerinin gelisimi ve devlet tarihi ele alinmistir.
The only Romani newspaper of interwar Yugoslavia, Romano lil/Ciganske novine (the latter meaning ‘Gypsy newspaper’ in Serbian), was published in Belgrade in 1935 comprising only three monthly issues. The most prominent Yugoslav Romani... more
The only Romani newspaper of interwar Yugoslavia, Romano lil/Ciganske novine (the latter meaning ‘Gypsy newspaper’ in Serbian), was published in Belgrade in 1935 comprising only three monthly issues. The most prominent Yugoslav Romani activist of the time, Svetozar Simić, was the editor of the newspaper, giving tribute to his visions of what Roma should do for the prosperity of their own community. In terms of content, the newspaper articles seem to be strategically thought-out with the aim of creating a narrative about the Roma, as people united by common culture and historical memory, equal to the other people of the Yugoslav Kingdom, who needed to be included in all processes of the social and public sphere. This article looks into the essence of some messages that the newspaper conveys regarding Roma’s social inclusion, such as (1) education and professional training as a key for a better future, (2) the need for Roma to be more engaged and to self-organise as a community and (3...