The Golden Legend and the Flowers of Sanctity

About the Book

In this book, Mahmutefendić has cheered us up with his texts, which were conceived as novels but never completed, as well as with dialogues, tricks, and situations that have ended up as a burr to some prose. Some will recognize in them tinges of Gogol, or perhaps Kharms, Domanović, or even Nušić, as well as works like children’s memory books, anonymous letters, secret diaries, and various fun and boring newspapers. All these bits and pieces constantly intertwine, swarm, and burst, creating one artistic world, the world of Sead Mahmutefendić, a wizard with the terrible power of imagination, a wizard who, from scattered nonsensicalities, creates an astonishing sense of existence. His most significant works are the novels Kelvin’s Zero, Fish and One-Eyed Jack, The Centrifugal Citizens, Teasing of Salko Pirija, Demons, Like in a Movie, and Placebo: The Beauty and Horror of Lies, as well as the books of columns and essays, A Memorandum for the Reconquista and The Big and Small Cannibals. Sead Mahmutefendić’s books have been translated into English, Russian, French, Italian, Macedonian, Armenian, and Danish.

About the Author

Sead MAHMUTEFENDIC (Sarajevo 1949). He graduated literature and languages from University of Belgrade. His books have been translated into 10 languages. He is the author of more than 30 books. Scientific symposium, organized in honor of his literary, essayistic and publicist work, entitled Modern Heretic Apocryphal Manuscript on Pre-apocalypse, emphasized that he is the writer whose creativity according to style and linguistic references could be contextualize in the South Slav and European literary space. His literary work tries to answer the question why there is so much violence, evil and lies among people in a wide range from empathy via irony to a sarcastic satire. Sead Mahmutefendic was nominated for IMPAC Dublin award in 2016.