Senka Marić’s People is a work of confessional prose that combines clarity of expression with unflinching self-examination. It takes the form of an intimate diary, written during three intense months at the prestigious international writers’ residency in Iowa. Addressed to her son, the diary blends reflections on her time at the residency with witty and profound thoughts on writing and the world we live in.

During her stay in Iowa, surrounded by over thirty writers from around the world, Marić found herself inside a vibrant yet fragile microcosm of the world—an experience that deepens the book’s exploration of identity, borders, and the ties that divide or connect us. Initially bound together by curiosity and goodwill, the group increasingly finds itself tested by the pressure of cohabitation and by ruptures in the political reality of the outside world. As the violence of 7 October and its aftermath in Gaza capture global attention, the group’s delicate harmony begins to crack: tensions rise, empathy falters, and differences of perspective become harder to bridge. For Marić, this becomes a condensed example of how difficult it is for people to understand one another—even if they mean well— and of why the idea of humanity so often threatens to fall apart.

People shifts between Iowa, Mostar, and other cities, intertwining present moments with memories marked by war and displacement, but also by love and motherhood. Revealing both her inner landscape and the broader social realities around her, Marić searches for meaning and emotional truth in a fragmented world. Emotional truth in People is never merely introspection; it is a lens through which personal pain and social injustice converge. The result is a work that is tender yet unflinching, seeking coherence, beauty, and truth in a world that often resists all three.

 

“Ljudi could [also] be read as notes from the future – a retrospective diary in relation to her first novel Body Kintsugi – but it stands as an independent book. A herbarium of everyday events and terrifying moments, built from words.” – Faruk Šehić

“Moving through her Iowa residency, Marić’s diary explores spaces where people are defined based on nationality, class, and other contextual differences. [In this landscape] bitterness, anger, and loneliness reign. Good literature… [however] transcends clichés and opinions…and Marić knows this. She does not try to flatter the reader but grabs them by the shoulders and shakes them with an aesthetic of cruelty. ” – Oslobođenje

 

204 pages – Original Language: Bosnia Herzegovina (Buybook, 2025)