Mostar, June 17, 2025 – At the proposal of the Croatian Writers' Association
Herceg Bosna and Cultural Information Center Tomislavgrad, Municipal Council
Tomislavgrad adopted a decision to award public recognition at today's meeting.
Medallion of the Municipality of Tomislavgrad to the writer Stjepan Čuić who, with his
left a significant mark through his literary and public work and achieved exceptional
achievements.
Stjepan Čuić was born in Bukovica, Tomislavgrad municipality, on April 1, 1945.
He was educated in Bukovica, Tomislavgrad and Osijek, and at the Faculty of Philosophy
He studied Yugoslav languages and literature, as well as Russian, at the Faculty of Arts in Zagreb.
He was the editor-in-chief of the weekly Tlo (1970-1971), a Croatian language proofreader at
Bamberg (1979-1990), he wrote columns in Vjesnik, Slobodna Dalmacija and
Dr., was the editor-in-chief of the Third Program of the Croatian Radio, host of the Tribuna
Croatian Writers' Association, Vice President (2003 – 2005) and President
(2005 – 2008) of the Croatian Writers' Association. He appeared in literature with the so-called
generation of fantasy writers, to whom Pavao Pavličić, Goran Tribuson, Dubravko
Jelčić Bužimski and Stjepan Čuić are the most significant representatives. Since 1961.
publishes stories in Modra lasta, Revija, Polet, Republika, Forum,
Ranges, Life, etc.
He has published several books of short stories, mostly thematically related to his homeland.
In them, he problematized some experiences of our recent history, the relationship between the individual and
authority, and alienation from the social and human environment. He translated from Russian
language (Pushkin, Zinoviev…). His novel The Order from 1981 caused a storm
the reaction of the then authorities, while in 1983, on the eve of the premiere, the performance was banned
theatrical adaptations of that novel. The theatrical play Orden was performed in
Zagreb 1990. The German translation of the novel was published as a special edition of the magazine
The Bridge (Zagreb – Bamberg 1991)
Apart from the aforementioned novel Orden, Stjepan Čuić's published works are: Iza
bregova (short stories); Stalin's Picture and Other Stories; Thirty Years' Stories;
Diary according to the new calendar (novel); The Secret Abyss (novel for young people);
Stories; Island, graphic map (co-authored by Virgilija Nevjestić); Alphabet
Hypocrisy (political essays and commentaries); Pipes of Peace (political essays and commentaries);
The Interceptor (stories); The Interpreter of Power (columns); The Keeper of the Hammer and Sickle (short stories).
In addition, Stjepan Čuić, or rather his work, is represented in many
anthologies and lexicons and in readers in the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
He has also received many public recognitions and awards, some of which are: 1971.
the Seven Secretaries of SKOJ award for the collection of Stalin's pictures and other stories, 1972.
the Mladost newspaper award for the collection Stalin's Picture and Other Stories, 1975. the Večernji list award (for a short story) for Gulin's story, 1979. the "Zijo Dizdarević" award for the story Sreća, 2010. the Večernji list award (for a short story) Igra and the City of Zagreb award in 2021.
Eminent literary historians have written about Stjepan Čuić's work,
anthologists, critics and scientists, including: Aleksandar Ilić, Božidar
Petrač, Dražen Karaman, Igor Mandić, Ivan Lovrenović, Slobodan Prosperov
Novak and others. The literary works of Stjepan Čuić are not only registered in all
recent literary-historical reviews of Croatian literature, they are already within
They also experienced their own assessments and evaluations, including the assessment of Prof. Dr.
Marko Tokić, who received his doctorate on the life and work of Stjepan Čuić and on him
wrote the following: "To that narrative Duvno that told its own story about itself
stories and built a city of dreams and words; and that Duvno which in its historical
lasting memory of the establishment of the Croatian kingdom, the hajduk of Mijat
Tomić, the reign of Vrana (or Frana) Jozip and the years of Serbian domination in which
has, in material terms, inherited only its own land since Turkish times and
poverty. And that really is Duvno with its stories and legends, with its
attempts to build a city that would shape itself as a place of civilized
living with their governments which have always been nothing more than a framework for fear and coercion, it is
Duvno, on the basis of which Čuić built his narrative Duvno with his
actors and their parallel lives.
"Because of all the above, the writer Stjepan Čuić, who in his public and
greatly contributed to the promotion of Tomislavgrad through his literary activities and owed his
his hometown, because most of his works mention Duvno or are set there
Duvno, has been nominated for public recognition, which we believe is our
not only an obligation but also a sign of attention and gratitude for everything done in his
rich literary and creative oeuvre and let it be a memory of his
his hometown, to his Duvno, which is proud and proud to be ours. Thank you to him."
stated, among other things, in the Decision on the award of the Medallion public recognition
Municipality of Tomislavgrad.
Public recognition Medallion of the Municipality of Tomislavgrad will be awarded to Stjepan Čuić
personally at the ceremonial session of the Tomislavgrad Municipal Council, which will be held on the occasion
The Day of the Municipality of Tomislavgrad will be held on July 8, 2025.
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