When planning a vacation in Sarajevo, immersing yourself in its literature means preparing to understand the deep soul of the city.
Bosnian literature, and particularly that of Sarajevo, offers a unique perspective on the cultural, historical, and human complexity of this capital. From historical novels that span centuries of domination to war diaries that recount daily resilience, Bosnian authors have managed to give voice to the melting pot of peoples, religions, and cultures that define this city . This article will guide you through some of the most significant writers to read before or during your trip.
The Great Classics: Andrić and Selimović
Ivo Andrić (1892-1975)
Andrić is undoubtedly the most famous name in Yugoslav literature and the only one to have won the Nobel Prize for Literature (1961). Born near Travnik, he lived for a long time in Sarajevo, where he set some of his most famous works. His masterpiece, The Bridge on the Drina, is a historical novel that spans four centuries of Bosnian history, telling the lives of generations of inhabitants through the symbol of the bridge in Višegrad .
For those visiting Sarajevo, it is evocative to read The Lonely House, his narrative testament set in a house on the heights of the city . In 2025, this novel was republished in Italy, confirming the relevance of a writer who managed to tell the story of multiethnic coexistence and its tragedies .
Meša Selimović (1910-1982)
Author of the famous Death and the Dervish, Selimović is considered one of the greatest Bosnian writers of the 20th century. His manuscripts are preserved at the Museum of Literature and Performing Arts in Sarajevo, a must-visit for enthusiasts .
The Literature of the Siege: Witnesses of a Trauma
The siege of Sarajevo (1992-1996) generated an intense and moving literary production, often referred to as "trauma literature" . These authors depicted the besieged city not only as a physical place but as a metaphor for the world, where East and West met in a confined space .
Miljenko Jergović (1966-)
Born in Sarajevo, Jergović is one of the most important contemporary authors of the Balkans. In 2026, he won the Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding for his collection The Crazy Heart. Sarajevo Marlboro Remastered, which revisits the siege of Sarajevo .
His most famous book is The Marlboros of Sarajevo (1994), a collection of stories that describes daily life during the war with a mix of pathos, anguish, and irony . Each story is a fragment of life in the besieged city, where death becomes a companion of every day, but where humor and tenacity endure . He also wrote The Karivan, a novel that reconstructs the stories of dozens of families from Sarajevo before the war, starting from a phone book .
Dževad Karahasan (1953-)
Having fled Sarajevo in 1993, Karahasan dedicated touching pages to the city in his diary The Center of the World. Sarajevo, Exile of a City . Descrive Sarajevo come "la città di una nuova confusione linguistica dove, con un solo sguardo, è possibile abbracciare i fedeli di tutte le religioni del Libro" . Per lui, Sarajevo era prima della guerra una metafora del mondo, un luogo di convivenza esemplare che la guerra ha distrutto, ma che sopravvive nella memoria e nell'ideale .
Izet Sarajlić (1930-2002)
The only one of the three great Bosnian intellectuals to remain in Sarajevo for the entire duration of the siege, Sarajlić lost two sisters during the war . His poems, collected in The Book of Farewells, express all the pain and resistance of the city. Sarajlić always refused to define himself through a nationality, representing the last bastion of a secular and multiethnic idea of Sarajevo that the war has erased .
Aleksandar Hemon (1964-)
Born in Sarajevo, Hemon was in Chicago when the war began and decided not to return. His works, such as God's Spies and The Question of Bruno, explore the themes of exile, identity split, and war seen from afar .
Voices of the Resistance: Other Authors to Discover
Semezdin Mehmedinović (1960-)
Author of Sarajevo Blues, a book that mixes poetry, prose, and short stories to tell the resistance of a city under siege . He is one of the most internationally known Bosnian writers.
Zlata Filipović (1980-)
Il suo Diario di Zlata, scritto durante l'assedio quando aveva 11-13 anni, è stato paragonato al The Diary of Anne Frank . It is a universal testimony of childhood in war.
Bisera Alikadić (1939-)
A Bosnian poet and writer, she was one of the first women to publish romance novels in Bosnia . During the war, her works City of Courage (The City of Courage) and Book of Time (The Book of Time) express the struggle of Sarajevo during the conflict, addressing the theme of loneliness in a big city and the identity crisis of modern society .
Bekim Sejranović (1972-2020)
Born in Brčko, he is known for novels such as Nowhere, from Nowhere (Nicăieri, de niciunde), which tackle themes such as emigration, nomadism, and the search for freedom . Although he is not strictly from Sarajevo, his writing reflects the experiences of many Bosnians forced into exile.
Where to Discover Literature in Sarajevo
During your vacation in Sarajevo, you can explore the literary heritage of the city through some key places:
The Museum of Literature and Performing Arts (Sime Milutinovića Sarajlije 7): Founded in 1961, it preserves manuscripts, letters, and photographs of authors such as Ivo Andrić and Meša Selimović, along with over 20,000 items . It also hosts the "Mak" gallery, which features temporary exhibitions .
The National and University Library (Vijećnica): The symbolic building of the city, rebuilt after being destroyed in 1992, is a monument to the resilience of Bosnian culture. Its halls host literary exhibitions and events .
Buybook Bookstore (Radićeva street): Founded in 1996, it is the heart of contemporary Bosnian literature. It hosts the international festival "Bookstan" and is the best place to find translations of local authors .
The Mak Dizdar Foundation: Dedicated to the most influential Bosnian poet, author of Stone Sleeper, inspired by the ancient medieval Bosnian tombstones (stećci) .
The Despić House: It hosted the first theatrical performances in Sarajevo, a meeting place for the city's intelligentsia .
FAQ - Bosnian Literature and Sarajevo
Which Bosnian authors are essential to read before visiting Sarajevo?
Ivo Andrić, Nobel Prize 1961, and Meša Selimović for the classics. For contemporary literature and about the siege, Miljenko Jergović (The Marlboros of Sarajevo), Dževad Karahasan (The Center of the World), Izet Sarajlić (The Book of Farewells) and Semezdin Mehmedinović (Sarajevo Blues) .
What is the Museum of Literature and Performing Arts of Sarajevo?
It is a museum founded in 1961 that preserves manuscripts, photographs, and objects of Bosnian writers and theater artists. It hosts an art gallery (Mak) and is located in a historic 19th-century house .
What is the most famous book by Miljenko Jergović?
The Marlboros of Sarajevo, a collection of stories about daily life during the siege of the city, which has earned him numerous international awards .
Are there literary tours in Sarajevo?
Yes, there are self-guided tours (like those offered by Zigway) that touch on places related to literature, including the Museum of Literature, the Vijećnica, the Hotel Europe, and the Buybook bookstore .
Which works tell the story of the siege of Sarajevo?
Numerous works, including the Diary of Zlata (Zlata Filipović), The Marlboros of Sarajevo (Miljenko Jergović), The Center of the World (Dževad Karahasan), Sarajevo Blues (Semezdin Mehmedinović) and the poems of Izet Sarajlić .
Which books by Bosnian writers are available in Italian?
The Marlboros of Sarajevo (Jergović, ed. Quodlibet), The Center of the World (Karahasan), The Bridge on the Drina (Andrić), The Lonely House (Andrić) . The Diary of Zlata is available in many languages.
Authors to Read Before You Leave
Bosnian literature offers an essential key to understanding Sarajevo. Through the pages of Andrić, Jergović, Karahasan, Sarajlić, and many others, one can grasp the complexity of a city that has been a crossroads of civilizations, a theater of multiethnic coexistence, and, tragically, a symbol of nationalist violence. Reading these authors before or during your vacation in Sarajevo will allow you to see beyond the monuments and connect with the deep soul of the city, made of stories of resilience, memory, and hope. Each book is a bridge between past and present, an invitation not to forget and to understand the roots of one of the most fascinating and complex capitals in Europe.
To explore all aspects of this extraordinary city, consult our complete guide: Discover literary Sarajevo during your vacation.
Revision date: May 2026