• 04.12.2017

In 1984, I was a graduate student and I was preparing to study medicine. That was expected from me, also I expected it from myself, although I knew that I would study something else. I went to the entrance exam of the Philology, the group for Yugoslav literature at that time and I told my family  after I was accepted at the college.

“I apparently hesitated, but I did not hesitate at all. I loved that magic when I was saying that I hesitate, but in the back of my mind I always knew that I will work with books. Somewhere since I was ten. In 1984, I was a graduate student and I was preparing to study medicine. That was expected from me, I expected it from myself, although I knew that I would study something else. I went to the entrance exam of the Philology, the group for Yugoslav literature at that time and I told my family at home after I was accepted at the college. My family at home was waiting for the results if I entered on Medicine..I told them that I entered, but on literature, “remembers the writer Olivera Kjorveziroska for her decision to study what she has always wanted.

The top Macedonian writer „(С)плетени раскази“ (Knitted stories), “(Со)шиени раскази“ (Stitched stories), „Две перници“ (Two pillows), „Заклученото тело на Лу“ (The locked body of Lu)  etc, accepted with joy the invitation of Fakulteti.mk and “Pivara Skopje” to be part of our column “When I was a student”.

– During my childhood me and my brother lived with the desire of our parents, me to be a doctor, and he to be an electrical engineer. My brother, three years older than me, finished one year at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and moved on to study on the Art Academy. So, it was easier for me, the path of children’s wishes was opened in our home, and I went right to what I wanted. Without a particular reproach from the parents, only with a little silence – says Kjorveziroska.

“Excellent handmade” – life imperative
She admits she was a committed and hard working student.
– I am a crafty daughter and I was brought up to get things exclusively with work. With my ten fingers, literally and metaphorically. At the end of my studies, I began to write prose, although I had already published two poetry collections before. I wrote the first short story in 1987, I was the third year of college. It was called ” Прозните обиди на една песна” (The prose attempts on a single song). I still keep it.

Her grades were important to her, and she felt that they were the answer to her contribution to the study of literature.

– I felt satisfied with the established balance between one and the other. I graduated with a very high average, it was important to me then, and it is still important to me on an essential, personal level. Achieving visible results, excellent “handmade”, that’s my life imperative – the writer is categorical.

Significant names in the literary were her professors.
– I loved the lectures of Miodrag Drugovac, Gane Todorovski … it was a real challenge for me to speak such a Macedonian that Liljana Minova-Gyurkova can not recognize where am I from. I managed. Ten years later, the respected professor confirmed that no one can recognize where am I fromthe way I speak. I am very proud of that, “said Kjorveziroska.

She admits that she did not easily adapt to the transfer from Kumanovo to Skopje.

– I lived with my roommates in a rented apartment and the first semester, although the apartment was in the City center, above the current “Prosvetno delo”, I knew how to get to the school only on foot and only through the bridge “Goce Delchev”. Until in the spring of 1985, in the second semester, I learned to get across the Stone Bridge. In fact, one colleague who was from Boca Kotorska taught me, who quickly overcame Skopje. I do not believe in the adaptation in cities, I believe only in finding the right people in them. My first confrontation with Skopje was through the Adriatic Sea in the thoughts of my colleague whom I quickly became friends with – the author of “(С)плетени раскази ” (Knitted stories) says.

Student friendships are something special to me

She still hangs out with colleagues from college, most of whom are famous writers

– In mine generation ant the one before and after me, there were students who are now famous writers, with whom we prepared exams together and started writing. We changed the written, we boasted and we muttered ourselves… In the late 80s with one well-known Macedonian writer, we were riding in the bus “nineteen” and we read my song all day. He had not yet begun to write, but for that, he did not save words my poetry at all. With another, we saw Hamilton’s “Billitis” film seven times in the cinema “Culture”. I’ve kept student friendships as something special in my life – she shares.

Studying is always full of memories, anecdotes of interesting things that happened to us. Kjorveziroska recalls the extraordinary examination they took in “Tri Javora” in the Old Bazaar, before the entrance / exit of Kapan-an.

– It was a hell of a heat and I know exactly what and for whom I was writing on the table with a checkered tablecloth and a flower on it. Once, at the lecture, Gane Todorovski entered and said to wait for a minute, he had to meet with my father. Emphasize: “With Olivera’s father”. I was wondering how he knows him, I even got upset … Soon I realized that the professor thought for years that I was the daughter of a writer who lived in Kumanovo, Dragoslav Markovic, only because of the surname (my maiden name is Markovic) and, because he knew that I was writing too. He never asked me, but, he thought so – returns Kjorveziroska.

During the studies she did not work. She read a lot and wrote a little.

– Every Friday afternoon I went to Kumanovo, I returned to Skopje every Sunday at night. With the buses of “Jug-turist” or “Proleter”. The mornings on Saturdays I spent at the library in Kumanovo for years. And now I feel special in that space, although the library “Tane Georgievski” has been altered since then – says the passionate admirer in the books.

She graduated in 1988 and immediately got employed in “Detska radost”. She remained there for the next 15 years. Although she worked in a publishing house, it was never her dream (because she wanted to teach literature, not to edit books), however, the work in this publishing house, which at that time was great, changed and traced her life on many levels.

– I always wanted to teach. It was my dream. I thought I was born for that, but well, I was born for something else. I’m most sorry that I did not learn how to play a clarinet, a little less that I do not work with students. I always knew how to say something, how to show, and to transfer my knowledge – says the author.