“I want ordinary people to be heroes in this country” – Branislav Bjelica on his new book Belgrade Loser

A collection of short stories by the well-known journalist and writer has appeared on bookstore shelves, introducing readers to a taxi driver, hairdresser, doorman, baker, a young gay man, an elderly seamstress, and the “loiterers” outside the shop.

The domestic critics have already dubbed you the Serbian John Fante – that’s quite the compliment, isn’t it?

“That’s even printed on the cover, which came as a rather pleasant surprise. John Fante was, in a way, Charles Bukowski’s idol, and honestly, I never expected to be recognised in that company. Yes, it is a big compliment for me – and a tiny one for humanity.”

Was another book about Belgrade really necessary?

“Belgrade needs a lot of things; a book certainly isn’t at the top of the list, but it’s needed too. Mine, or someone else’s. So yes, I believe Belgrade also needs books – books are important. Culture is always important.”

All your protagonists in these stories are completely unassuming characters. Why did you choose such people to be your literary heroes?

“Not everyone can be a hero or a winner, so that only stories are written about them. Most people – not just in this city, but in the world – are perfectly ordinary, unremarkable people who go unnoticed. I wanted even the most ordinary people of Belgrade to be someone’s kind of hero, for their stories to be heard too.”

Why Belgrade Loser in particular?

“Because the majority of Belgraders are losers. Life’s losers. They were born here and they’ll die here. And that’s it. That’s my impression. That’s why the book cover is an illustration of defeat.”

You mean the Victor statue “from the back corner”?

“Exactly – the characters in my book are looking at the Victor from behind. But they’re not offended by it!”

Are the characters in Belgrade Loser fictional or real people?

“They’re all authentic and they all exist. Or once existed. And of course, I changed all their names. There’s a reason for that, naturally. One of the characters, Dragiša Karamatijević, the ventriloquist from Zemun, died long ago, but I wanted a man like that to live on in literature. So in the story, he’s still alive – that’s my homage to the real Dragiša. Believe me, he was one of the funniest people to ever walk this city. And his life was full of tragedy. That’s why I wanted him to be the protagonist of a book. And I think I’ve succeeded – I gathered the most ordinary residents of Belgrade and made them heroes. Something that’s impossible in real life, because they’re… they’re nobodies. Incidentally, one of the characters in these stories is me – a minor one, mind you. I changed my name too, of course, but I’ll recognise myself.”

Does that mean you’re a Belgrade loser too?

“Depends on who’s looking and how. If you think I’m a nobody because I’m not well known to the public, then yes – I’m a loser. But if you understand the kind of microcosm I’ve created, you’ll say I’m a winner. And what a winner!”

Aside from Dragiša, which other characters would you highlight or introduce to readers? Who’s your personal favourite?

“I’m fond of all of them! If I weren’t, I wouldn’t have written about them. I prefer people who are normal, hardworking, and honest. The sort who don’t publicly beat their chests, who aren’t “cocksure”, as the kids say, who don’t dream of appearing on TV or in the papers – they just live their lives, and that’s enough for them. Saško from Lion is very dear to me – a young, lost gay man. Taxi driver Šone gets on my nerves, but show me a taxi driver in Belgrade who doesn’t! When you read the story about teacher Sneža, you might cry – and when you read about Duško the Rom or Dragiša the ventriloquist, you might double over with laughter. (Oh, and by the way! In real life – I witnessed it – Dragiša once ate twenty-eight eggs! In my story, I made it twenty. I toned it down, because otherwise people would say I was exaggerating. And exaggeration isn’t really desirable in literature.)”

Have you given a copy of the book to any of your characters yet?

“Not yet, the book has just come out. But I’ll definitely head over to Kalenić in the next few days to give Duško the Rom a copy. Of course, his real name isn’t Duško, but he’s been my mate practically since birth. And I know he knows his letters – enough to read something, at least.”

What are your hopes for this book?

“I hope it gets read as if it were written by John Fante himself. When I told my friends the book was coming out soon, one of them – someone I consider very smart – told me that this wasn’t exactly the best time to be publishing a book. And I both agree and disagree with that. Around here, it’s never the right time for anything – and time, well, it keeps passing us by.”

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