Selected by Jagna Pogacnik
Martyresses was named one of the ten best books of 2013
short story collection
Martyresses
Short story collection
Martyresses, the debut book by Zelimir Peris, is a collection of fifteen stories told in brief fragments by fourteen women and one female animal — though one could argue most of the women have been reduced to the status of females too, as we recall the golden words of Danilo Kis: History is written by the victors. Legends are spun by the folk — and the historical victors are men, not to say males.
Gallery
Victims of Life
22.09.2013.
Davor Šišović
Moderna Vremena
07.10.2013.
Marijo Glavaš
"Are we oppressed because we are weak, or are we weak because we are oppressed?" — asks the protagonist of one of fifteen stories in the prose collection "Martyresses" by Zadar writer Zelimir Peris, concisely and explicitly describing the weight that balances on a scale between two opposing ends of the author's debut thematic counter.
Although the risk of engaging with the theme of female martyrdom was considerable — compounded by the fact that this was a debut — Zelimir Peris avoided the trap of pathos, and elevated his original style, his airy and fresh literary voice, as a unified instrument and medium through which he successfully delivered a commonsense human message.
Trailer
Theater Adaptation
In 2015, the Academy of Arts in Osijek adapted the book into the theater play "4 Stories: Women."
City Theater "Joza Ivankic" Vinkovci
Cast: Petra Kraljev, Katica Subaric, Petra Cicvaric, Sata Moser
Director: R. Raponja
Theater Adaptation
In 2019, the Amateur Drama Company of the POU Vodice community centre combined two books to dramatise seven confessions of women and men — the “martyrs” of Želimir Periš and the losers of Luko Paljetak.
Luko Paljetak and Zelimir Peris: I'LL WAIT FOR YOU BY THE PINK DUMPSTER
ADAPTATION & SET DESIGN: Zdravko Todorovic
Cast: Andjela Frzop, Maja Cvitan, Martina Tabula et al.
Slovenia
Modrijan, Ljubljana, Slovenia 2014.
Translated by Maja Novak
Bulgaria
Sofija, 2020.
Превод от хърватски език:
Николай Иванов, Симона Кръчмарова, Стоян Шапаров, Христо Бояджиев
Редактор: Татяна Дункова
Консултант: Ясна Аничич / Jasna Aničić
Книгата се издава от Културно-просветното дружество на хърватите в България
Translation Samples
(c)
Exhibition
To encourage young artists, the author and the Vox Feminae portal organized a contest for cover art. The winning entry by Karla Paliska and Tea Pavic became the book cover. The selected works were exhibited at the KaLibar Bestival literary festival 2013 in Zadar.
Martyresses Around the World
After publication, many readers sent photos of the book taken in places where Martyresses needed to be seen. Thank you for that!
Photos sent by: Snežana Pužar, Marta Džaja, Mehmed Begić, Natalija Miletić, Adrijana Vidić, Kruno Lokotar, Marko Kovač, Volodymyr Krynytsky, Bronislava Aubelj, Vanja Guzovski, Jasna Aničić, Kate Brajdić, Helena Klaić, Bojan Krivokapić, Staša Aras and many others.
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