Organized by the Association for the Promotion and Popularization of Literature “Imperativ,” the event “Everyone Will Read Poetry” was held on October 25 at 7 p.m. in the packed Assembly Hall of Banski Dvor.
“Imperativ” hosted Radmila Petrović (1996), a poet from Užice known for her lyrical voice that blends rural heritage with contemporary introspection. Following her poetry collections My Mom Knows What’s Happening in Cities and The Scent of the Earth, her new novel in verse, I Didn’t Know What I Carry Inside, brings an intimate story of growing up, family relationships, and the search for identity between the village and the city.
The work intertwines themes of childhood, mythology, and everyday experience, opening a space to reflect on identity, inherited patterns, and generational guilt. At its heart is a relationship that embodies both love and inner fracture — the moment when the heroine recognizes her difference and finds the strength to confront the world.
Through a poetic and confessional tone, Petrović portrays the struggle between what is inherited and what is chosen, between the real and the imagined, showing how freedom and belonging are often discovered within one’s own inner world.
The conversation with the author was led by Banja Luka writer Michaela Šumić, who skillfully guided the discussion toward the novel’s central motifs — from family dynamics and women’s heritage to ways in which poetry can speak about both taboos and tenderness.
Source: Glas Srpske
