Milorad Pavić

Milorad Pavić was a Serbian writer, translator, literary historian, and academic, renowned for his innovative prose that defied conventional narrative structures. He began his career with poetry in the late 1960s before turning to prose, gaining international acclaim with Dictionary of the Khazars (1984), a lexicon-format novel celebrated as “the first novel of the 21st century.” His works, translated into over thirty languages, blend myth, history, and imagination through experimental forms like crosswords, tarot cards, and dreamlike narratives.

Pavić’s novels, including Landscape Painted with Tea (1988), The Inner Side of the Wind (1991), and Last Love in Constantinople (1994), continually pushed the boundaries of storytelling. A professor of literature and member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, he also translated Russian fiction and wrote plays. Recognized as one of Europe’s most inventive literary voices, Pavić left a lasting legacy that challenges traditional ideas of narrative and structure.