Ivo Andrić

İvo Andrić was a Yugoslav novelist, short story writer, and poet whose works explored the cultural and historical complexities of Bosnia. Raised in Višegrad, he studied literature and history in Zagreb, Vienna, and Graz, earning a PhD in 1924, and also pursued a diplomatic career, serving as Yugoslavia’s ambassador to Germany in 1939. During World War II, he lived in seclusion in occupied Belgrade, where he wrote his most important works, including The Bridge on the Drina, a chronicle of centuries of Bosnian life under Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian rule.

In 1961, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature for the epic force and universal scope of his storytelling.

His later novels, such as Travnik Chronicle and The Woman from Sarajevo, along with many short stories and essays, combined historical detail with deep insight into human character. Widely translated, his works introduced Balkan history and experience to international readers. Until his death in 1975, Andrić remained one of Europe’s most respected literary voices.