Academician Ljubomir Simović passed away

It is with great regret that the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts announces the passing of Academician Ljubomir Simović, who passed away at the age of 90 on 17 April 2025. Born in Užice on 2 December 1935, he was one of the most notable Serbian poets and playwrights.

He graduated from the Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade, in 1962, from the Department of Yugoslav Literature and Serbo-Croatian Language. During his studies, he worked as an editor—and later as editor-in-chief—of the student literary journal ’Vidici’. He spent his professional career as the editor of the cultural section of Radio Belgrade.

In the early stages of his work several poetry collections stood out, including ‘Slovenske elegije’ (1958), ‘Veseli grobovi’ (1961) and ‘Poslednja zemlja (1964) These were followed by ‘Šlemovi’ (1967), ‘Uoči trećih petlova’ (1972), ‘Subota’ (1976), ‘Vidik na dve vode’ (1980), ‘Um za morem’ (1982), ‘Deset obraćanja Bogorodici Trojeručici Hilandarskoj’ (1983), ‘Istočnice’ (1983), ‘Gornji grad’. (1990), ‘Igla i konac’ (1992), ‘Ljuska od jajeta’ (1998), ‘Tačka’ (2004) and ‘Planeta Dunav’ (2009).

In addition to being recognised as one of the greatest contemporary Serbian poets, he also achieved significant success as a playwright. He authored four plays: ‘Hasanaginica’ (1973), ‘A Miracle in Šargan’ (1974), ‘The Travelling Troupe Šopalović’ (1985), and ‘The Battle of Kosovo’, which exists in two versions, from 1988 and 2002 – the latter printed in 2003. His prose works include the novel-chronicle ‘Užice sa vranama’(1996), the diary of dreams ‘Snevnik’ (1998), the essay collection on Serbian literary figures ‘Duplo dno’ (1983, 1991, 2003, 2008), book of essays on painters and sculptors titled ‘Čitanje slika’ from 2006.

A distinctive place in Simović’s literary oeuvre is occupied by seven books of conversations, articles, journals, analyses, and commentaries on events in Yugoslavia and Serbia during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. These include ‘Kovačnica na Čakovini’ (first edition in 1990). ‘Galop na puževima’ (1994), ‘Novi galop na puževima’ (1999), ‘Guske u magli’ (2005), ‘Obećana zemlja’ (2007). ‘Titanik u akvarijumu’ (2013) and ‘Žabe u redu pred potkivačnicom’ (2016). A travel book titled ‘Do Oba i Huangpua’ he published in 2016.

He was elected a corresponding member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1988, and he became its full member in 1994. Within the Academy, he served as a deputy secretary of the Department of Language and Literature in the period from 1990 to 2006. He was also a member of the Expert Council of the SASA Gallery of Fine Arts and Music and the editor of a series of ceremonial sessions which marked the Day of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. He also organised scientific conferences and edited proceedings from these conferences, which include ‘Jovan Sterija Popović’ and ‘Laza Kostić’.

He edited selected poetry collections by authors such as Đuro Jakšić, Jovan Jovanović Zmaj, Laza Kostić, Momčilo Nastasijević, Dušan Vasiljev, Miodrag Pavlović, Milovan Danojlić, and Branislav Petrović, as well as selected comedies by Jovan Sterija Popović and Branislav Nušić. He also prepared the posthumous edition of poems from Branislav Petrović’s literary legacy, titled ‘Žeževasion’. As part of the anthology series ‘Ten Centuries of Serbian Literature’, published by the Matica Srpska Publishing Centre, he edited the volume ‘Laza Kostić’. Within the same series, a volume of Simović’s own texts was compiled and edited by Bogdan A. Popović.

His plays ‘Hasanaginica’, ‘A Miracle in Šargan’, and ‘The Travelling Troupe Šopalović’ have been staged across nearly all major theatres in the former Yugoslavia. He is a four-time recipient of the Sterija Award—three times for Best Playwright (1975, 1986, 1993), and once for his ‘exceptional contribution to the development of theatrical art and culture’ (2006). The first version of his play ‘The Battle of Kosovo’ was adapted into a film directed by Zdravko Šotra.

For his literary work, in addition to the above-mentioned awards, he received the following: Zmaj’s Award, 1973; Branko Miljković Award, 1980; Milan Rakić Award, 1982; October Prize of the City of Belgrade, 1989; Dis Award 1989; The 7th July Award, 1990; BIGZ Award, 1990; Golden Cross of Prince Lazar, 1992; Desanka Maksimović Award, 1994; Žiča Chrysobull, 1995; Stefan Mitrov Ljubiša Award, 1997; Isidorijana Award, 1997; Joakim Vujić Award, 2000; Vasko Popa Award, 2000; Jovan Dučić Award, 2004; Mića Popović Award, 2006; Rade Drainc Award (2008),  SKZ Award for lifetime achievement, 2013;’ Ljubomir P. Nenadović’ Award for the best travel book in the Serbian language, 2016; ‘Dositej Obradović’ Award for lifetime achievement, 2016, Petru Krdu European Award for Poetry (2018), etc. In 2022, he was honoured with the SASA Medal in the field of arts.

A virtuoso of poetic and dramatic expression, an exceptional essayist, and an interpreter of art, he left an indelible mark on the history of Serbian and Yugoslav literature through his creative work.

His passing represents a great loss for the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, as well as for Serbian culture and society as a whole.