The Department of Literature of Matica Srpska was founded at the constitutional assembly of the Department in 1864, following the relocation of Matica Srpska to Novi Sad, and held its first meeting on 29 and 30 August of the same year. In October, the Literary Board of the Department was constituted. The members of the Department of Literature, however, had been active in Matica Srpska since its founding. Their work was focused on presenting Serbian culture in Europe and on the enlightenment of the Serbian people. To this end, extensive publishing activities were developed. Their foundation was Letopis (The Chronicle), launched in 1824, and over time numerous Matica Srpska series were established.
The Department of Literature and Language in its contemporary form was established after World War II. Its task is to organize, encourage and popularize scientific research in the fields of literature and language, to support the development of contemporary literature and literary language, to cultivate and advance the literature and language of the Serbian people and their connections with the cultures of other nations, as well as to develop cooperation with relevant scientific and cultural institutions in Serbia and abroad.
The work of the Department of Literature and Language is managed by the Department Board, which has a four-year term. The Secretary of the Department is at the head of the Department Board.

Secretary Generals of the Department:

Professor Boško Novaković, PhD (1968‒1973)
Professor Božidar Kovaček, PhD (1973‒1982)
Professor Jovan Jerković, PhD (1983‒1994)
Professor Marija Kleut PhD (1995‒1998)
Professor Mato Pižurica, PhD (1999‒2012)
Marko Nedić, PhD (2012‒ )

Secretary of the Department:

Professor Isidora Bjelaković, PhD
e-mail: isidora.bjelakovic@gmail.com

Associate of the Department of Literature and Language:

Milena Kulić, PhD
Telephone: 021/6622-726
mkulic@maticasrpska.org.rs

Associate of the Department for scientific research activities:

Ljiljana Dražić, MA
Telephone: 021/6615-798
e-mail: ljdrazic@maticasrpska.org.rs

Members of the Department Board:

1. Professor Isidora Bjelaković, PhD, Secretary of the Department
2. Professor Slobodan Vladušić, PhD
3. Professor Emeritus Slavko Gordić
4. Professor Vladislava Gordić Petković, PhD
5. Dragana Grbić, PhD
6. Academician Jasmina Grković-Mejdžor
7. Academician Jovan Delić
8. Professor Rajna Dragićević, PhD
9. Professor Jasmina Dražić, PhD
10. Professor Radoslav Eraković, PhD
11. Professor Emeritus Dušan Ivanić
12. Milina Ivanović Barišić, PhD
13. Professor Kornelija Ičin, PhD
14. Professor Mladen Jakovljević, PhD
15. Professor Vojislav Jelić, PhD
16. Professor Aleksandra Korda Petrović, PhD
17. Academician Aleksandar Loma
18. Professor Goran Maksimović, PhD
19. Professor Ksenija Maricki Gađanski, PhD
20. Professor Aleksandar Milanović, PhD
21. Professor Jelena Marićević Balać, PhD
22. Dejan Miloradov, Mr
23. Professor Sofija Miloradović, PhD
24. Marko Nedić, PhD
25. Professor Milivoj Nenin, PhD, Corresponding Member of SANU
26. Professor Jelena Novaković, PhD
27. Vasa Pavković, Mr
28. Professor Slobodan Pavlović, PhD
29. Professor Mihajlo Pantić, PhD
30. Academician Zoran Paunović
31. Professor Aleksandar Petrović, PhD
32. Professor Emerita Ljiljana Pešikan-Ljuštanović
33. Professor Mato Pižurica, PhD
34. Professor Petar Pijanović, PhD
35. Professor Valentina Pitulić, PhD
36. Professor Dragana Radovanović, PhD
37. Professor Saša Radojčić, PhD
38. Selimir Radulović
39. Professor Gorana Raičević, PhD, Corresponding Member of SANU
40. Professor Slobodan Remetić, PhD
41. Professor Nenad Ristović, PhD
42. Professor Viktor Savić, PhD
43. Đorđo Sladoje
44. Professor Dragan Stanić, PhD
45. Professor Rada Stijović, PhD
46. Professor Bojana Stojanović Pantović, PhD
47. Professor Boško Suvajdžić, PhD
48. Professor Sreto Tanasić, PhD
49. Professor Kornelija Farago, PhD
50. Professor Mihal Harpanj, PhD
51. Dragan Hamović, PhD
52. Professor Zorica Hadžić Radović, PhD
53. Nenad Šaponja, Mr
54. Professor Mladen Šukalo, PhD

THE FIRST BOOK SERIES

The First Book Series of Matica Srpska was launched in 1957 and is intended for young writers who are just entering the literary scene. More than 300 titles of poetry, prose, criticism, literary theory and essays have been published in the series so far. In addition to having gained an enviable reputation, Matica Srpska’s First Book is also the oldest series of its kind in twentieth-century Serbian publishing.

The books are printed in a symbolic print run of 300 numbered copies and, through the exchange system, reach all relevant national libraries in Serbia and abroad.

Many authors published in this series now constitute an important part of contemporary Serbian literature, including Dobrica Erić, Mirjana Stefanović, Judita Šalgo, Milutin Petrović, Gvozden Eror, Miro Vuksanović, Vladimir Kopicl, Radmila Gikić, Dragan Velikić, Novica Milić, Ljubica Arsić, Mihajlo Pantić, Jovan Delić, Jovan Popov, Vojislav Karanović, Zoran Đerić, Dubravka Đurić, Veselin Marković, Vladimir Tasić, Borivoje Adašević and others.

The First Book Series has been edited by Ivan V. Lalić, David Albahari, Miroslav Antić, Florika Štefan, Vasa Pavković and many other acclaimed authors from this region. The publication of each new volume of the First Book Series coincides with the Belgrade Book Fair, where the authors are presented to the literary public for the first time.

Competition requirements

Authors are eligible to apply if they are not older than 30 in the year in which they apply and have not previously published a book.
The manuscript submitted to the competition must be an original work in the Serbian language, written in Cyrillic, and previously unpublished, either in full or in part.
The manuscript, in five copies, together with a short author biography, should be sent (or delivered in person) to: Matica srpska, for the First Book Series, Matice srpske 1, 21000 Novi Sad.
Manuscripts submitted without the Author’s Statement will not be considered.
Manuscripts will not be returned.

Editorial Board of the First Book Series:

Professor Vladislava Gordić Petković, PhD, Editor in Chief
Sonja Veselinović, MA
Professor Đorđe Despić, PhD
Nenad Milošević
Ivan Radosavljević

THE ZMAJ AWARD LIBRARY

The Zmaj Award Library was instituted with the intention to fully and critically shed light on the poetic work of the winner of this most significant award for poetry of Matica Srpska. Their work, analyzed from various critical and methodological perspectives, gives a more detailed picture of the scope and importance of their poetry for the contemporary Serbian literature. So far books about the poetry of the following authors have been published: Aleksa Vukadinović, Jovan Hristić, Dara Sekulić, Duško Novaković, Srba Mitrović, Miroslav Maksimović, Živorad Nedeljković, Nikola Vujčić, Zlata Kocić, Miroslav Cera Mihajlović.

Editors of the Zmaj Award Library:

Franjo Petrinović
Jana Aleksić
Miroslav Aleksić
Violeta Mitrović
Vesna Kapor

STUDIES ON SERBS SERIES

For many good reasons, scholars from various countries devote attention to the Serbian language and literature, culture and history. They have achieved significant results and written valuable books. Their contributions complement the achievements of Serbian researchers.

The aim of the Studies on Serbs Series is to bring the achievements of foreign Slavists closer to the Serbian public and to help Serbian scholarship incorporate them into its body of knowledge. At the same time, in this way the local academic community expresses its gratitude to these authors, friends and ambassadors of understanding.

Readers will find exceptionally engaging works in the books of this series, made even more appealing by an unusual perspective: Serbian people and circumstances are presented as seen through the eyes of others.

The series is jointly published by Matica Srpska in Novi Sad and the Vuk Foundation in Belgrade, and 20 books have been published so far.

Editorial Board of the Studies on Serbs Series:

Academician Jasmina Grković-Mejdžor
Professor Slobodan Vladušić, PhD
Professor Aleksandar Milanović, PhD
Professor Boško Suvajdžić, PhD
Branko Zlatković, PhD
Mladen Vesković

Awards of the Department

Jury of the Branko Award of Matica Srpska

Professor Vojislav Jelić, PhD, President
Professor Dragana Vukićević, PhD
Assistant Professor Maja Medan Orsić, PhD
Professor Nataša Polovina, PhD
Professor Sanja Paripović Krčmar, PhD

Jury of the Mladen Leskovac Award

Professor Dušan Ivanić, PhD, President
Professor Dragoljub Perić, PhD
Academician Jovan Delić
Professor Nataša Polovina, PhD
Marko Nedić, PhD

Jury of the Zmaj Award

Selimir Radulović, President
Ivan Negrišorac
Saša Radojčić
Želidrag Nikčević
Đorđe Nešić

Jury for the Matica Srpska Charter for the Cultivation of Serbian Language Culture

Professor Isidora Bjelaković, PhD
Professor Sreto Tanasić, PhD
Professor Mato Pižurica, PhD
Professor Dragan Stanić, PhD
Professor Rada Stijović, PhD

Editors of the Zmaj Award Library:

Ivan Negrišorac
Professor Jelena Marićević Balać, PhD

Jury of the Beskrajni plavi krug Award

Nebojša Lazić, PhD
Professor Mina Đurić, PhD
Professor Jelena Marićević Balać, PhD
Professor Goran Radonjić, PhD
Professor Mladen Šukalo, PhD

Jury of the Ljubomir Stojanović Award

Professor Isidora Bjelaković, PhD
Professor Jasmina Dražić, PhD
Professor Nataša Kiš, PhD
Professor Rajna Dragićević, PhD
Professor Aleksandar Milanović, PhD
Professor Vanja Stanišić, PhD

Members of the Njegoš Committee of Matica Srpska since 2020:

1. Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Joanikije (Mićović), President of the Njegoš Committee
2. Academician Matija Bećković, Vice-President of the Njegoš Committee
3. Academician Jovan Delić, Vice-President of the Njegoš Committee
4. Academician Jasmina Grković-Mejdžor, Secretary of the Njegoš Committee
5. Bishop of Bačka Irinej (Bulović)
6. Professor Goran Maksimović, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Njegošev zbornik
7. Professor Radmilo Marojević, PhD
8. Professor Mato Pižurica, PhD
9. Professor Dragan Stanić, PhD
10. Professor Jelica Stojanović, PhD
11. Academician Milosav Tešić
12. Srđa Trifković, PhD
13. Professor Bogoljub Šijaković, PhD

Research Associate of the Njegoš Committee: Milena Kulić, PhD

Members of the Krajina Committee of Matica Srpska:

1. Professor Dušan Ivanić, PhD, literary historian, university professor, Belgrade, President
2. Milan Micić, PhD, historian, Novi Sad, Vice-President
3. Sofija Božić, PhD, historian, Principal Research Fellow, Belgrade
4. Čedomir Višnjić, political scientist, historiographer, Zagreb
5. Professor Slavica Garonja Radovanac, PhD, literary historian, university professor, Kragujevac
6. Danka Lajić Mihajlović, PhD, ethnomusicologist, Principal Research Fellow, Belgrade
7. Snježana Orlović, art historian, Belgrade
8. Professor Dragan Stanić, PhD, writer, university professor, Novi Sad
9. Professor Ljiljana Stošić, PhD, art historian, university professor, Belgrade
10. Borivoj Čalić, literary historian, librarian, Vukovar
11. Branko Čolović, PhD, art historian, Knin
12. Svetlana Šeatović Dimitrijević, PhD, literary historian, Principal Research Fellow, Belgrade
13. Bogdan Šekarić, ethnologist, museum adviser, Novi Sad

Members of the Youth Committee of Matica Srpska:

1. Milena Kulić, PhD, President of the Youth Committee
2. Rastko Lončar, MA, Secretary of the Youth Committee
3. Rajko Petrović, PhD
4. Vukašin Marić, MA
5. Marijana Jelisavčić Karanović, MA
6. Marina Šafer, PhD
7. Ana Cmiljanović Dankuc, PhD
8. Milan Radoičić, MA
9. Aleksandra Colić Jovanović, PhD
10. Dragoljub Mandić, MA