107. Šantić's poetry evenings in Mostar

The international cultural manifestation "107th Šantić Poetry Evening" will be held in Mostar from September 27 to October 5, 2026, organized by the Serbian Educational and Cultural Society "Prosvjeta" - Mostar City Board and the Serbian Singing and Cultural and Artistic Society "Gusle".

This year's program will bring together poets, writers, scientific and cultural workers, as well as musical and theater artists, and a special part of the event will be dedicated to marking 130 years since the launch of the Mostar literary magazine "Zora", one of the most important magazines of Serbian literature and culture from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.

The opening ceremony of the 107th Šantić Poetry Evenings will be held on Sunday, September 27, at 6 p.m. in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity in Mostar. The ceremony will be in the spirit of a great jubilee – 130 years since the founding of “Zora”, with the exhibition “130 years of 'Zora'” and the presentation of the ceremonial edition of this magazine. The musical part of the program will feature the “New Era Quartet” from Trieste, consisting of Kristina Mlinar, violin and vocals, Teodora Kaličanin, violin, Francesca Senatore, viola, Alesandro Pietro Dore, cello, and Pjerkarlo Favro, guitar. Before the opening ceremony, at 5 p.m., a memorial service for Aleksa Šantić will be held at the Orthodox cemetery in Bjelušine and flowers will be laid on the poet's grave.

The program will continue on Monday, September 28, at 7 p.m. at the Bishop's Palace in Mostar, with a poetry evening featuring Zoran Kostić, Danilo Jokanović, Duško Babić and Milan Rakulj. The program will be moderated by Njegoš Veljančić. On Tuesday, September 29, at 7 p.m., also at the Bishop's Palace, the "Book about Šantić" will be presented. The book will be discussed by the organizers, Prof. Dr. Duško Pevulja and Sanja Bjelica Šagovnović, as well as Prof. Dr. Duško Babić. In the musical part of the program, Dario Lukić will present the album "Invizibl" (Invisible). The play "The Mourning Family", performed by the National Theater of the Republika Srpska, will be performed on Wednesday, September 30, at 7 p.m. at the National Theater Mostar.

A program dedicated to young creators will be held on Thursday, October 1, at 6 p.m. in Aleksa Šantić Park. After laying flowers at Šantić's memorial bust, the program "Young Poets in Honor of Šantić" will feature Almin Šemić, Elmin Šemić, Nikola Šaran, Sanel Tufekčić, Luna Katarina Karan, Hana Repeša, Emana Tabaković, Maša Stefanović and Marina Gvozdenović. The evening will be moderated by Aljoša Golo, and in case of bad weather, the program will be held in the Bishop's Palace.

Šantić's poetry evenings are going beyond the borders of Mostar again this year. The program "Nevesinje - the second Šantić house" will be held at the Cultural Center "Nebojša Glogovac" in Nevesinje on Friday, October 2, at 7 p.m. On Saturday, October 3, at 7 p.m. in the Bishop's Palace in Mostar, the program "The Old and Cathedral Church in Mostar: Lighthouses of Spirit, History and National Endurance" will be held. The author of the exhibition Bosiljka Grčić and the head of the Cathedral Church in Mostar, Father Duško Kojić, will participate.

The event will end on Monday, October 5, at 7 p.m. in the Žitomislić monastery, with the presentation of the "Collected Works of Prote Marko S. Popović Rodoljub". The organizer Fr. Marko Gojačić, abbot of the Žitomislić Monastery, Father Danilo and historian Petar Milošević. "Šantić's evenings of poetry" have preserved the memory of Aleksa Šantić and his work for more than a century, at the same time nurturing the culture of memory and connecting contemporary creators, institutions and audiences. This year's event will be an opportunity for Mostar to once again gather around the poetry, culture and lasting values that Šantić left to his city and people. The organizers invite the citizens of Mostar, lovers of poetry and culture, and all admirers of the character and work of Aleksa Šantić to attend the programs and celebrate together the 107th Šantić Poetry Evening.