Croatian emigrant poets New York celebrate 24 years of creativity in Zagreb

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By Nada Pritisanac Matulich

Under the organization and sponsorship of the American-Croatian Congress, the twenty-four-year creative work of the Croatian Emigrant Poetry Association New York (HIL NY) was presented at the Croatian Heritage Foundation in Zagreb.

The event was attended by representatives of numerous Croatian institutions and emigrants who traveled from the USA, Australia, and Europe for this occasion.

The association was founded in 2000 in Manhattan, New York, at the Croatian Catholic Mission Astoria, initiated by Nada Pupačić. It brings together Croatian poets from five continents and has been operating successfully and continuously for 24 years.

Over these 24 years, the association has published 22 collections of poems and a Monograph marking its 20th anniversary. The collections were reviewed by esteemed academics, professors, and scientists, and many artists contributed to the cover designs.

The ceremony began with the song “Jedna je Hrvatska,” performed by the song’s author Josip Čenić and Mišo Mijo Bijuklić. Monsignor Pintarić then addressed the attendees with appropriate words and a blessing. A minute of silence was observed in honor of all those who died in the creation of the Republic of Croatia, as well as the deceased poets.

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Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs addressed the attendees, including the envoy of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Prof. Dr. Vanda Babić Galić, special advisor Gordana Grlić-Radman, and Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. From the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, Mirjana Ana Maria Piskulić, Head of the Department for International Cultural Cooperation and European Affairs, greeted the audience.

Representing the State Office for Croats Abroad, Ana Marija Frković, Head of the Department for Croatian Emigrants, and Dr. Milan Bošnjak, Advisor for Croatian National Minority Issues at the Central State Office for Croats Abroad, were present.

Miro Gavran, President of the Croatian Heritage Foundation, a Croatian playwright, novelist, storyteller, and writer for young people, as well as a corresponding member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, addressed the audience with appropriate words.

Luka Budak, honorary doctor of the University of Split, founder and director of the Croatian Studies Center at Macquarie University in Sydney, and member of several professional associations, expressed great satisfaction in participating for the third time on two continents in presenting the magnificent book, the HIL NY Monograph.

Nada Pritisanac Matulich, civil representative of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations in New York, president of the American-Croatian Congress, and member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Croatian American Professionals, initiated and led the global project

“Tie of Prominent Croatian Women and Men in Emigration.” She has been a member of Croatian Immigrant Lyrics NY since 2011 and was the initiator of presenting the twenty-four years of creative work of Croatian Immigrant Lyrics New York in Zagreb. She thanked everyone for their great support in attending the event and all HIL NY members for their long-term dedicated work in preserving the Croatian language abroad.

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She gave special thanks to Branka Bezić Filipović, a longtime collaborator with Croatian emigrants, who prepared an electronic presentation of 24 years of HIL NY gatherings and creative work for this occasion. She also thanked the excellent program leader, Valentina Badanjak Pintarić.

One of the founders of Croatian Emigrant Poetry Association New York, Ivan Dobra, a poet born in Šibenik who spent part of his life in New York, emotionally recalled the beginnings and founding of HIL NY. He is a member of the Society of Croatian Writers, the Croatian Heritage Foundation, and the Croatian Academy of America.

Ivan Dobra emphasized that the association self-financed for nineteen years, traveling from city to city and continent to continent, and published 19 collections of poems. To the delight of the attendees, he recited one of his many sonnets.

Croatian writer and radio journalist Ivana Bačić-Serdarević, a longtime collaborator of the Croatian program Special Broadcasting Service from Sydney and a member of several Croatian-Australian literary societies, read the introduction to the Monograph printed for the twentieth anniversary, highlighting HIL NY’s journey and activities as well as the chronology of their gatherings.

Poet, musician, and songwriter Mijo Mišo Bijuklić and Australian-Croatian director, producer, and screenwriter Steve Ravić, born in Australia and a volunteer in the Homeland War, emphasized the need to pay more attention to cultural creativity in emigration. Mijo Mišo Bijuklić invited the attendees to this year’s gathering of emigrant poets scheduled for August on the island of Pag.

Don Markušić, president of the Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP) in Zagreb, an Australian and British lawyer, and the only common law lawyer admitted to the Croatian Bar Association, highlighted his legal practice encompassing all areas of foreign investment, property, inheritance, and commercial law.

Josip Čenić and Mišo Bijuklić performed the original song “Iz tuđine.”

On behalf of the American-Croatian Congress, President Pritisanac Matulich awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award to Nada Pupačić, the initiator, founder, and longtime president of Croatian Emigrant Poetry Association New York.

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Visibly moved by the large turnout of representatives from ministries, state institutions, academics, parliamentarians, scientists, university professors, and the most prominent representatives of Homeland and emigrant Croatia, Nada Pupačić emotionally thanked everyone who has supported and continues to support Croatian Emigrant Poetry Association New York over the past nearly quarter-century. She invited everyone to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of HIL NY, which will be held next year in New York.

On behalf of the HIL NY association, Mijo Bijuklić presented awards to Nada Pupačić and Ivan Dobra as founders, to Nada Pritisanac Matulich for her long-term support of the association, and to Branka Bezić Filipović for her long-term tracking and publishing of HIL NY’s work.