NIN Award Winner Saša Ilić and Jury President Teofil Pančić
The award was presented to 66th winner Saša Ilić by NIN Prize Jury President Teofil Pančić, and excerpts from the award-winning book were read by actor Tihomir Stanić. Ilić expressed his gratitude for the recognition and recalled that Dubrovnik comedian Marin Držić spoke about the world stage where the soulless (evil, envious people) and the soulful (wise, good people) alternate.
– Držić said that there have always been more soulless people, but, although they lead the battle, one can easily identify which ones are the first and which ones the latter. Some are genuine and others are soulless and will remain dispirited – emphasized, among other things, Ilić, adding that among novel writers there are also those that belong to the soulless or to the soulful group, which can be recognized in the long history of the NIN Award which was handed to him last night.
Thomas Schieb, German Ambassador to Serbia and Jelena Drakulić Petrović, Ringier Axel Springer Serbia CEO
The writer won the applause of the audience and among the many guests in the full ceremony hall were: Thomas Schieb, German Ambassador to Serbia, Jelena Drakulić Petrović, director of the Ringier Axel Springer media, writer Božo Koprivica, director Goran Marković and many others. Part of the award is a prize in the amount of one million dinars, and the sponsors are Sberbank, as well as domestic and foreign companies that have decided to remain anonymous in order to focus all their attention on the writer and his work.
Milan Ćulibrk, NIN Editor-in-Chief
Commenting on the 66th NIN Award for the novel, but also the recognition for the Person of the Year given to Aleksandar Obradović, in the 85th year of publishing NIN, editor-in-chief Milan Ćulibrk said: – We will strive to leave NIN to the future generations such that they will be proud of it. That they’ll never be ashamed of anything.
Foto: