Aco Šopov

poet

Aco Šopov (Macedonian: Ацо Шопов [ˈat͡sɔ ˈʃɔpɔf]; 1923 – 1982) was a Macedonian poet.

He was considered one of the most important poets of Yugoslavia.

1941

1944

He took part in World War II in Yugoslavia (1941–45) and his poems written at the time were published as Pesni (Poems) in Belgrade and Kumanovo in 1944, and in Štip the following year.

Pesni was the first poetry collection published in Macedonian in SR Macedonia after the war.

1967

1968

Šopov was member of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (1967) and corresponding member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (1968).

He graduated from the philosophy department of the Ss.

Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje and the Higher Political School in Belgrade.

1965

1969

Socialist

He was president of the Translators’ Union and the Writers’ Union of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia in the 1950s and 1960s, and of the Writers’ Union of Yugoslavia from 1965 to 1969.

1970

1977

diplomat

His childhood was haunted by the specter of incurable disease, death, sadness, and loneliness - themes that would later permeate his poetry.

He referred to his youth as the "Hundred-headed monster." When he was just eleven years old, his mother, whom he had cared for alone, died prematurely of a serious illness.

He began writing poetry in a school notebook at the age of fourteen.

1943

In 1943, at the age of 19, Aco Šopov became engaged in the Yugoslav Partisans' resistance to the Nazi occupying forces.

He continued writing poetry during this period and found his subject matter in his own experience.

He proved to be a highly personal poet even when chronicling events of a social or patriotic nature, as when describing the death of a much-loved woman and fellow partisan, Vera Jocić.

socialist

With his poetry book Stihovi na makata i radosta (Verses of Suffering and Joy), Šopov moved away from socialist realism.

Because of this departure in the early 1950s, Šopov's poetry was initially criticized but came to be recognized several years later.

Speaking with his own voice, Šopov charted his own course in poetry, without being a dissident.

"The greatest challenge and the greatest moral responsibility of the poet," he said in an interview, "is to find the right words to the contents and ideas he wants to express in an authentic and inimitable way.

If it fails, the poem is pulled out of its socket, the word becomes a lie."

editor

He was an editor of the literary magazine "Sovremenost".

In 1967, Aco Šopov became one of the founding members of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and was awarded with the AVNOJ in 1970.

The AVNOJ Prize is the highest recognition in the area of science and art in the frames of the former Yugoslavia.

1971

1976

In 1971, after many years of journalism and publishing, Aco Šopov was nominated as the Yugoslav Ambassador to Senegal. Šopov's time in Senegal inspired the book Poem for the black women, which won the Miladinov Brothers Prize at the Struga Poetry Evenings in 1976.

1961

This international festival, held each year in the South of Macedonia, was founded in 1961 by Šopov himself with a group of Macedonian poets.

1975

In 1975, back from Senegal, Aco Šopov was appointed as President of the Commission for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries of the Republic of Macedonia.

However, just three years later, the disease foreshadowed in his poems forced him to retire from active life.

Following a long illness, he died on 20 April 1982 in Skopje.

The Word’s Nativity.

Edited by Katica Ḱulavkova.

2011

Skopje: St. Clement of Ohrid National and University Library, 2011.

196

196 p.

The Long Coming of the Fire: Selected Poems.

Compiled by Jasmina Šopova.

Translated from the Macedonian by Rawley Grau and Christina E.

Kramer.

2023

Dallas, Texas: Deep Vellum/Phoneme Media, 2023.

254

254 p.

Bilingual edition.

1962

An Anthology of Modern Yugoslav Poetry in English Translations / Janko Lavrin.- London: John Calder, 1962.

185

A texte-Book of the Macedonian Language / Krum Tošev and Dragi Stefanija.- Skopje : Matica na iselenicite od Makedonija, 1965.- 185 p.

1972

Reflexions of pain and Unsubmissiveness : Selection of Macedonian Poetry from the Early Beginnings to Our Day.- Skopje, 1972

1973

647

Introduction to Yugoslav Literatur : an Anthology of Fiction and Poetry / ed. by Branko Mikasinovich, Dragan Milivojevich and Vasa D. Mihailovich.- New York: Twayne, 1973.- 647 p.

Contemporary Yugoslav Poetry / Vasa D. Mihailovich.- Iowa City : University of Iowa Press, 1977.

Reading the Ashes : an Anthology of the Poetry of Modern Macedonia/ Milne Holton, Graham W.

Reid.- Pitsburg : University of Pitsburg Press, 1977.

1979

Evenings of Macedonian Poetry : Days of Macedonian Culture.- Skopje : Republic Commission for Cultural Relations of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, 1979.- [68] p.

White stones and fire trees : an Anthology of Contemporary Slavic Literature / Vasa D. Mihajlovich.- London: Associated University Presses, 1977.

To Struga with love / Stanley H.

1978

Barkan.- Merrick – New York: Cross cultural Communications, 1978.

Longing for the South : an Anthology of Contemporary Macedonian Poetry / Sitakant Mahapatra, Jozo T.

Boškovski.- New Delhi : A.

K.

1981

Dash, Prachi Prakasan, 1981.

Macedonian Poetry / transl.

N. Kuhner, G.

1983

Editor

Reid.- Aligarh – India : Editor Baldev Mirza, 1983.

Pesni (Poems).

Okoliski NOMSM.

1994

Pruga na mladosta (Railways of Youth)(with Slavko Janevski).

Skopje.

1946

Main Board of the People’s Youth Force of Macedonia.1946.

Na Gramos (On Gramos).

Skopje: NAPOK.

1950

So naši race (With Our Hands).

Publisher

Skopje: State Book Publisher of Macedonia.

Stihovi na makata i radosta (Verses of Suffering and Joy).

Kočo Racin.

1952

Slej se so tišinata (Merge with Silence).

Skopje: Kočo Racin.

1955

Vetrot nosi ubavo vreme (Winds Bring Nice Weather).

1957

Nebidnina (Nonbeing).

1963

Ragjanje na zborot (The Word’s Nativity).

Skopje: Misla.

1966

Jus-univerzum (Yus-Universum).

Gledač vo pepelta (Reading the Ashes).

Skopje: Makedonska Kniga.

Pesna za crnata žena (Song for the Black Woman).

Drvo na ridot (A Tree on a Bare Hill).

Misla.

1980

Skopje: Makedonska kniga & Detska radost.

Izbor (Selection).

Edited by Georgi Stardelov.

Skopje: Makedonska kniga.

Zlaten krug na vremeto (Golden Circle of Time).

Odbrani dela (Selected Works).

Edited by Slobodan Micković.

Okeanot e mal, čovekot e golem (The Ocean is Small, the Man is Vast).

Skopje: Centar za kultura i informacii.

Luzna (Scar).

Skopje: Misla (Foreword to Eftim Kletnikov).1981.

Izbor od poezijata (Poetry Selection) Edited by Rade Siljan.

1987

Skopje, Makedonska kniga, 1987.

Edited by Rade Siljan.

Skopje: Združeni izdavači.

1988

Nebo na tišinata (Sky of Silence).

Edited by Vele Smilevski.

Skopje: Kultura.

1990

Gledač vo pepelta (Reader of Ashes).

1991

Dolgo doagjanje na ognot (The Long Arrival of the Fire).

Edited by Svetlana Šopova.

1993

Skopje: Liber-M.1993.

Poezija (Poetry) Aco Šopov’s poetry selection.

Edited by Katica Kulavkova.

Rađanjeto na zborot (The Word’s Nativity).

2008

Bitola: NID MIKENA, 2008.

Zlij se s tišino.

Prepev Ivan Minati.

Ljubljana : Državna založba Slovenije, 1957.

72 p.

Örök várakozó.

1964

Foditotta: Fehér Ferenc, Novi Sad, Forum, 1964.

78 p.

Ветер приносить погожие дни. Перевод Александар Романенко. Москва: Прогресс, 1964.

64 p.

Предвечерје. Избор, превод и препјев Сретен Перовиć. Титоград: Графички завод, 1966.

115

115 p.

Ugnus-milestiba: dzeja.

Sakartojis Aleksandar Romanenko.

1974

Riga: Liesma, 1974.

103

103 p.

Песме. Избор и предговор Георги Старделов; превод и препјев Сретен Перовић, Београд: Народна књига, 1974.

277

277 p.

Pjesma crne žene.

Prevela Elina Elimova, Zagreb, August Cesarec, 1977.