Biography of Biljana Jovanović (1953–1996)

Biljana Jovanović was a writer, human rights defender, and peace activist, remembered as one of the most courageous and original voices of her generation. She studied philosophy at the University of Belgrade, where she was part of a vibrant circle of intellectuals and artists who sought to challenge social and political conventions.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Jovanović was actively involved in campaigns for human rights and freedom of expression. She signed numerous petitions across Belgrade, Zagreb, Sarajevo, and Ljubljana, protesting political repression and the notorious Regulation 133, which criminalized “thought crimes.”

In 1984, she became president of the first Yugoslav non-governmental organization — the Committee for the Protection of Humans and the Environment. She rejected all divisions based on nationality or religion and confronted prejudice with courage, irony, and intellectual sharpness.

Her debut novel, Pad Avale (Avala Is Falling, 1978), captured the rebellious spirit of young Belgrade and is considered one of the best first novels in modern Serbian literature. It introduced a distinctly female perspective into the literary mainstream, exploring women’s experiences, sexuality, and social roles with a boldness unprecedented in Yugoslav fiction. The novel remains relevant for its honesty, energy, and youthful defiance.

Jovanović also published the poetry collection Čuvar (The Guardian, 1977), the prose volume Psi i ostali (Dogs and Others, 1978), and the play Centralni zatvor (Central Prison, 1990).

“They called at ten in the morning from Palmotićeva; no one had witnessed anything, no one knew anything, Danilo had been dead the whole blessed night.” – Dogs and Others

In 2005, the Serbian Literary Society established the Biljana Jovanović Award, honoring authors whose work reflects her spirit of freedom, creativity, and humanism.