A Conversation on Memory and Writing with Monika Herceg

10 Jul A Conversation on Memory and Writing with Monika Herceg

A conversation about the novel Here the Forest Begins (Ovdje počinje šuma), memory, and trauma marked the “1-on-1” program on the Studio Stage of the XVIII KROKODIL Festival, where Croatian writer Monika Herceg spoke with poet Radmila Petrović.

Petrović opened the talk by reminding the audience that Monika Herceg is one of the most awarded poets and playwrights of her generation, and now a novelist as well. Herceg revealed to the audience that she had hesitated for a long time regarding the book’s title, at one point even considering naming the novel Conversations with Darkness.

The discussion soon shifted toward the themes the novel explores: memory, trauma, and childhood. Speaking about the writing process, Herceg pointed out that writing is not always therapeutic; sometimes, it can represent re-traumatization. She added that an author might think they are writing fiction, only to realize later that they have recorded a repressed memory that had been present all along. Throughout the conversation, she repeatedly returned to the question of memory, emphasizing that it is never fully reliable but is instead shaped through time, experience, and attempts to understand trauma.

Petrović noted that in discussions about the novel, the issue of the sexual violence experienced by the young girl is almost never addressed. Herceg agreed, suggesting that people might be afraid of what such conversations could reveal.

Although they discussed difficult topics, the atmosphere was occasionally lightened by the humor for which Monika Herceg is well-known. She also spoke about the literature that was important to her while working on the novel, as well as the significance of paying attention to children’s dreams and the way they shape memory.

The talk ended on a brighter note when Radmila Petrović, who is also the editor of the Serbian edition of the novel, asked the author which cover she preferred—the Croatian or the Serbian one. Herceg laughingly refused to choose, while Petrović jokingly invited the audience to pick the Serbian edition, pointing out that the horse on its cover looks “wilder and blacker,” exactly as envisioned in the novel.

After the conversation, the audience gathered at the Makart publishing house stand to purchase copies of the novel.

Katarina Jurčević, KROKODIL’s journalist for a day

Photo: Alex Dmitrović