Branislav Nusic

Branislav Nušić (Бранислав Нушић) was Serbian novelist, playwright, comediographer, story writer, essayist, founder of modern Rhetoric in Serbia. He was of Tzintzar (Aromanian Vlach) origin. Nusic was born on 8 October, 1864 and died on 19 January, 1938. Nusic also worked as a journalist and a civil servant.

Nusić was born in Belgrade, Serbia, under name of Alkibijad Nuša. His father was a well known grain merchant, but lost his wealth shortly after Nusic's birth. The family moved to Smederevo, where Nusic spent his childhood and attended elementary school and first two grades of boarding school. He moved to Belgrade, where he graduate from boarding school. He attended and graduated from law school in Belgrade in 1884. During his studies, he spent a year in Graz, Austria.

Nusic fought in a war between Serbia and Bulgaria that started in 1885, while he was serving in the Serbian Army. After the war, he published a contraversial poem Dva Raba in Dnevni List for which he was convicted for two years in prison. The poem ridiculed the Serbian monarchy, particularly King Milan.

At first, he was sentenced to two months in prison, but King Milan preassured the judges to extend the sentence. Conditions in prison were bad, but Nusic still wrote a comedy Protekcija (Protection). When he first asked the prison intendant, Ilija Vlah, for the permission to write, Vlah told him that it was writing that led him into prison, and denied his request.

Knowing that intendant read all outgoing mail, Nusic wrote a brief letter to the second husband of his aunt (he was related to her first husband), who served as a minister of justice. Nusic addressed Gersic with uncle and told him how it would be much easier for him to serve 2 years if he could write. He noted that he had no interest in writing political texts. Nusic signed the letter with your nephew. One day later, Vlah allowed him to write literature.

In 1889, Nusic became a civil servant. As an official in Ministry of Foreign Affairs he was appointed a clerk of consulate in Bitola, where he got married in 1893. He spent a decade in southern Serbia and Macedonia. His last post in this region was vice-consul in Pristina.

In 1900, Nusic was appointed a secretary of Ministry of Education, and shortly afterwards he became a dramaturge of Narodno pozoriste (The National Theater in Belgrade). In 1904, he was appointed a head of Srpsko narodno pozoriste (The Serbian National Theater) in Novi Sad. In 1905, he left his new post and moved to Belgrade to work as a journalist.

In 1912, Nusic returned to Bitola as a civil servant. In 1913, he created a theater in Skoplje, where he lived until 1915. Due to the World War I, Nusic fled the country and lived in Italy, Switzerland and France until the end of the war.

After the war, Nusic was appointed the first head of the Art Department of Ministry of Education. He remained at this post until 1923. Afterwards, he was appointed the head of Narodno Pozoriste (National Theater) in Sarajevo. In 1927, he returned to Belgrade.

Branislav Nusic was a prolific author, famous for his distinguished sense of humor. Nusic wrote in a satirical tradition.

Selected work

Some of the Nusic's major work (with English translation of titles):

Dramas:

• Gospođa ministarka (Cabinet Minister's Wife)
• Narodni poslanik (Parliamentarian)
• Ožalošćena porodica (Bereaved Family)
• Pokojnik (The Deceased)

Novels:

• Autobiografija (Autobiography)
• Opštinsko dete (County's child and published in Sarajevo as Općinsko dijete)
• Hajduci (Hajduks)

Short stories:

• Politički protivnik (Political Rival)
• Posmrtno slovo (Eulogy)
• Klasa (Class)

Other:

• Retorika (a discourse on rhetoric)sr:Бранислав Нушић