Our greatest writer was hungry, naked, barefoot, and sick: She barely survived the war years, and her relationship with Ivo Andrić still intrigues today
The life of Isidora Sekulić was marked by poverty and war, while her literary work and relationship with Andrić left a strong impact that continues to this day.
TL;DR
- Isidora Sekulić was born in 1877 and faced early loss of her mother, leading her father to raise her and her brothers.
- She excelled in literature and languages from a young age, often facing ridicule from peers.
- Sekulić studied mathematics and natural sciences, graduating in 1892, and later earned a doctorate in Berlin.
- She spoke seven languages and experienced profound loneliness after the death of her remaining family members.
- Her personal life included a brief marriage in Norway, ending with her husband's death.
- There are indications of a connection between Sekulić and Ivo Andrić, with her letters and postcards found in his estate.
- Sekulić critically analyzed female characters in Andrić's works, describing them as secondary to male protagonists.
- She endured significant hardship during wartime, including poverty, cold, and hunger, relying on the kindness of neighbors for basic necessities like fuel and food.
- Sekulić was the first woman elected to the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1939, facing resistance from some male academics.
- She was also a founding member and president of the Serbian PEN center and held a similar role in the Association of Writers of Yugoslavia.
- Her significant works include 'Saputnici', 'Pisma iz Norveške', 'Iz prošlosti', and 'Kronika palanačkog groblja'.