The second poetry collection by Nenad Simić from Derventa, titled “Let Us Defend Ourselves with Prayer”, was presented this evening at the “Branko Radičević” National Library in Derventa.
The book was published for Easter by the Serbian Literary Club “Vihor” from Derventa. It is divided into two parts—“Fate” and “Love, Faith, and Homeland”—and is illustrated with photographs of religious sites and memorials dedicated to fallen soldiers of the Defensive–Patriotic War.
Simić emphasized that the poems depict the trials endured by the Serb people, carrying a clear message and belief that through prayer, anything can be overcome.
“It is no coincidence that the title Let Us Defend Ourselves with Prayer is offered as a solution for the Serb people in the 21st century,” said Simić.
Library Director Vesna Šain expressed satisfaction that their institution had the honor of hosting a local poet.
“It is especially important for us to promote the work of local authors. Their books are preserved in our local collection, remaining as a lasting testimony of a time and place,” said Šain.
The book’s reviewers are writer Ranko Preradović and Archpriest-Stavrophore Željko Teofilović.
Teofilović noted that the very title of the book indicates the themes Simić explores in his new poetry collection.
“These are verses imbued with spirituality and patriotism, which the author deeply embodies, having visited many Serb execution sites along the Ukrina, Sava, and Bosna rivers, and in the mountains of Motajica, Vučijak, Ozren, and Kozara—listening to the cries of mothers who lost children and husbands in the horrors of war,” Teofilović wrote in his review.
In his review, Preradović wrote that the author, “immersed in the plight of his people and all those who lived through these grim and sorrowful times at the beginning of the 21st century, does not merely write a chronicle of those events, but conveys how he sees and feels it all.”
The promotional event was enriched by a piano performance from Katarina Krstović, a student of the “Nikola Tesla” Primary School, while selected verses from the collection were read by Biljana Dobrilović from Doboj, alongside the author.
Simić has previously published the poetry collection “Always” and the monograph “Bound Years” marking 18 years of journalistic work. His poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies throughout Republika Srpska and the region.
Simić is a longtime correspondent for the News Agency of Republika Srpska – SRNA from Derventa and Brod, and currently serves as president of the Serbian Literary Club “Vihor” in Derventa.
Source: RTRS
