Marko Pesic is a young prolific novelist from Belgrade, Serbia. His debut novel, Ivica Vode, has been met with critical acclaim, followed by nominations for book of the year, the NIN literary award and others.
Marko applies a dark, satirical and quick-witted style to his storylines, often set amid the grime of the late 90s and early 2000s. Dreamy and nostalgic, Pesic paints deeply human stories that are universally relatable, while interweaving unique views of pop culture and politics colored by an upbringing in a country plagued with civil unrest.
Marko’s books chronicle the interplay of absurdity and banal logic of everyday life. Marko’s well-researched stories are at once idfiiosyncratic love letters to specific temporal spaces and seeped in a vague undercurrent of timelessness and placelessness. The Magical Realism that layers his work is reminiscent of Rushdie, Murakami, and regional writers Ivo Andric and Sinisa Pavic.
Before he started writing fiction, Marko had established himself as an fiexpert in multiple professional fields. He holds an MA in Economics, and professionally primarily works in the area of regulatory impact assessment and policy analysis. He had been engaged both in the public sector, as a civil servant and expert advisor of the government, and later as a professional consultant for various international organizations. Marko is looking to pursue his career as a professional writer full-time.
Selected press excerpts for Water’s Edge.
Marko’s first book water’s edge received numerous positive reviews including being called ‘shockingly imaginative’, and ‘a nostalgic and real journey, with perfect hints of magical realism, into a dark and exciting and troubled past’.