ZAGREB, Nov 1 (Hina) - Miljenko Miljkovic, the author of the book "Vukovar's Ninth Circle", needed nine years to decide to publish his work. His novel tells the story of the sufferings of the residents and defenders of Vukovar during
Croatia's 1991 war of independence. The book was recently pronounced the best book on the Homeland Defence War. Miljenko Miljkovic, born in 1947, was a soldier defending Vukovar from Serb aggression when, after the fall and Serb occupation of this eastern Croatian town on November 18, 1991, he was apprehended, and taken to a concentration camp in Mitrovica (Serbia). He was exchaned as prisoner of war on August 14, 1992, and wrote his book in 1993. "Sometimes I would write in a notebook. The working title of the novel was 'The Beginning of the End'. Having been blessed with a good memory and capability of noticing even the smallest details, it was not difficult for m
ZAGREB, Nov 1 (Hina) - Miljenko Miljkovic, the author of the book
"Vukovar's Ninth Circle", needed nine years to decide to publish
his work.
His novel tells the story of the sufferings of the residents and
defenders of Vukovar during Croatia's 1991 war of independence. The
book was recently pronounced the best book on the Homeland Defence
War.
Miljenko Miljkovic, born in 1947, was a soldier defending Vukovar
from Serb aggression when, after the fall and Serb occupation of
this eastern Croatian town on November 18, 1991, he was
apprehended, and taken to a concentration camp in Mitrovica
(Serbia).
He was exchaned as prisoner of war on August 14, 1992, and wrote his
book in 1993.
"Sometimes I would write in a notebook. The working title of the
novel was 'The Beginning of the End'. Having been blessed with a
good memory and capability of noticing even the smallest details,
it was not difficult for me to put everything on paper. It was more
difficult to publish all this, as this is a big part of my intimacy.
It involves my family -- my wife and son, who was heavily wounded in
defending Vukovar. I drained everything out of myself, and such a
feeling is not comfortable. I postponed publishing the book for
years. At a moment when I realised that some things were falling
into oblivion, I decided to publish "Vukovar's Ninth Circle" -- a
testimony to our holocaust. The intention was for concentration
camps never to be forgotten," Miljkovic said.
He added that according to information from the International Red
Cross, more than 8,000 soldiers, men and women had been taken to
Serbian concentration camps.
"I changed the working title of the book because I wished the title
to show the book was about Vukovar. It is the most appropriate title
because if there is a hell, then it must be Serbian concentration
camps, the ninth circle of hell," Miljkovic asserted.
Upon being arrested by Serb occupators, "after they put me in a
truck headed out of Vukovar I watched the town through an opening in
the the canvas and felt terror. I was shocked, didn't believe what I
was seeing. On the way I told myself if I ever live through this I
will never live here again."
Miljkovic said it would be unjust to send people back to Vukovar to
live in a devastated town, watching people who had done them wrong
and having old woulds opened up again.
(hina) lml