Danilo Kiš (1935-1989) was one of the most important 20th-century Yugoslav writers, an author of novels, short stories, literary and cultural criticism, and a large body of poetic translations. A complex biography underlies much of his writing. He was praised by writers such as Joseph Brodsky and Susan Sontag, and this added to his prominence in local (Serbian, Yugoslav) and world literature. A 1989 Bruno Schulz Prize has supported translation of his work into English, and his works have been translated into over thirty languages.

Kiš’s early life is important, and particularly accessible to readers, because of the role it plays in the largest group of his fictional works. He was also a wry and thoughtful observer of his own biography, and this profile will cite several comments from

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Citation: Forrester, Sibelan. "Danilo Kiš". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 February 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=11953, accessed 19 March 2024.]

11953 Danilo Kiš 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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