© Photo by: Zdravko Radošić
Boris Jovanovic Kastel (Trebinje, 1971), considered by literary critics the most important Montenegrin poet of Mediterranean origin and prominent name of Mediterranean poetry. He won the Nosside World Poetry Praise, awarded under the auspices of UNESCO’s World Poetry Directorate in Reggio di Calabria (2011). He was editor of the Montenegrin literature review Ovdje (2000-2003) and has published his essays in the Montenegrin daily news Pobjeda, for many years.
His poetry has been translated to Italian, English, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Albanian and Slovenian. His poetry is presented in Antology of the World Poetry Nosside, in Italian, as well as in Anthology of Mediterranean Love Poetry from the oldest time until nowadays, Anthology of the Slavic poetry in Slovenian, Anthology of the Montenegrin poetry in Italian, Anthology of the Montenegrin poetry in Albanian and several anthologies of Montenegrin poetry on wine, women …
A book of poetry in Slovene Lunch on the cliff, by the Slovenian publishing house Hiša poezije anthology edition of European poets Poetikonove lire, was announced 2014 as part of the European Commission. The book of poetry Letter of invitation to the sun has been published in the prestigious edition of the Montenegrin poetry Savremenik, the Institute for textbooks and teaching aids from Podgorica.
Italian magazine of world literature and other arts Margutte, in the October issue of 2014, published poetry by Boris Jovanovic Kastel in translation by Maria Teresa Albano. He was selected as one of thirty poets of the world for The VI World Poetry Festival in Calcuta (India, 2012).
Boris Jovanovic Kastel lives in Podgorica.
Boris Jovanovic Kastel has published the following books of poetry:
- The Scents of regrets (1994)
- The Rings of Seaside (1995)
- Footnotes of Southern Bells (1997)
- The Anatomy of The Mediterranean Day (1998)
- The Mediterranean Agenda and Predicting the past (2000)
- The Mediterranean Hexateuch (2003)
- The Ego of the Sea (2004)
- Wedding with Cuttle-fish (2007)
- Neptune’s spear (2007, selected poems in English)
- Mediterranean indigo (2008, selected poems)
- Lunch on the cliff (2010)
- Kosilo na čeri (2014, poetry in Slovenian)
- A man without mainland (2015)
- A letter of invitation to the sun (2016)
Boris Jovanovic Kastel has also published four books of selected essays:
- The Parchement of Mermaid’s bust (2000)
- The Fifth Side of South (2005)
- Mirroring the Calm (2009)
- The Mediterranean Enlightenment – Our Mediterranean, Compass of Faith (2012)
And a Mediterranean Nobleman, the book with selected essays of local and foreign writers on poetry of Boris Jovanovic Kastel (2010).
Please visit: boriskastel.wordpress.com
I don’t trust the sea anymore
it did not witdraw before us
to the wine bottle of the antique shop
or the aquarium of Peter the second Orseol,
nor has it without reasoning flooded us,
glittering and murmuring
it plays kolo* without a leader,
to a hundred year old circle
and bacchanals with a Lovćen fary
it lights.
* Montenegrin folk dance
© Translated and edited by Vladimir Sekulić and Julka Ostojić
A PALM TREE
In the night of the first day of summer
from a museum of the southern museums
the Neptune’s spear was stolen,
a young palm tree was broken
from a tree lined path
without an end.
It is the second night of summer,
I am the witness –
a spineless and hunchback person.
© Translated and edited by Vladimir Sekulić and Julka Ostojić
A GIRL FROM NAPLES
I followed her for a whole hour
along the streets of Naples.
I remember the market place,
the portals of the old town,
the strands without strollers.
I followed her so barefoot
with a transparent skirt and a blouse,
without a brassier
As if she sensed me,
she turned toward me,
with woman’s shrewdness,
she looked at the tower.
I thought to stop her,
to introduce myself,
to tell her that I am a poet
from a country Montenegro
and without hesitation
to declare her love.
Or maybe
to give her a book,
to offer her a stroll
to the cathedral
and to wake up in the attic
of a rented apartment.
I was silent,
and lost courage
and I looked at the tower
at a minute to noon.
I didn’t ask her anything
and I didn’t even think of touching her
not even her shadow –
as a half of a violin –
played by a blind man
on the other side of the street.
She was leaving
as if she knew
who I was,
from which country –
where people consciously
hold their eyes closed
and blind people
feel the presentiment
of the end.
© Translated and edited by Vladimir Sekulić and Julka Ostojić
Published with the permission of Boris Jovanovic Kastel