Nina Dragičević wins Cankar Prize for hybrid collection 'Nemogoče'

Nina Dragičević has received the prestigious Cankar Prize for her hybrid literary work "Nemogoče" (Impossible), awarded for the best original literary creation of the past year. The Cankar Prize, which includes a 7,000 euro award, was presented at Cankarjev dom in Ljubljana.

The jury lauded Dragičević's collection for its highly relevant and current examination of the systematic exclusion of female composers from collective memory. The book is noted for going beyond merely revising historical gaps. Through precise documentation and a distinctive essayistic method, Dragičević reveals the ideological mechanisms that produced this absence.

"Nemogoče" is characterized by its compelling authorial combination of essay, narrative, archival material, and poetic interventions. This fusion opens a space where absence itself becomes evidence of presence. The jury highlighted that Dragičević's analysis does not simply aim to rehabilitate overlooked names but engages in a radical reflection on the conditions of artistic canonization. This approach elevates the work beyond a purely literary or musicological contribution, placing it within a broader discourse on cultural capital, the social production of knowledge, and the power dynamics that shape historical inclusion.

A particular strength of the book, according to the jury, is its persistent uncovering of the paradox that female composers have always been present, performed, and even recognized, yet were simultaneously pushed to the periphery of the cultural sphere. Dragičević demonstrates that this marginalization is not accidental but is the result of long-standing misogynistic structures that systematically denied women access to cultural capital. "Nemogoče" is thus deemed an important book that re-establishes history with critical sharpness and a hybrid form that pushes the boundaries of literature and theory, offering valuable insights into the creation and maintenance of cultural canons and those excluded from them.