The Serbian Heritage Academy of Canada marked a jubilee – 40 years of existence and work, by presenting this institution’s monograph in its premises. A book by the poet Radovan Gajić was also promoted there.

The Serbian Heritage Academy hosted a promotion of the book titled Gemblaši (Gamble Street residents) by Radovan Gajić.

On the same evening, a monograph of the Serbian Heritage Academy in Canada was presented on the occasion of 40 years of its work and existence. Živorad Žika Ajdačić gave the opening speech, noting the importance of activities of the Academy, as an organization in the diaspora and in the motherland, its commitment to preserving and expanding the national identity of the Serbian people, its heritage and cultural values.

‘During my visit to a church, children aged 5 to 12 were revising... those children know the language, because they managed to agree with the school to have two languages, one being the language of this country and the other Serbian, so this Academy has done a great thing in these 40 years’, says Živorad Žika Ajdačić, Secretary General of the Serbian Cultural and Educational Community.

Over four decades, many eminent personalities have headed SHA. The current president is Žarko Brestovac, recipient of many awards for his humanitarian work, including a Gold Medal of Merit in 2021 from the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić.

‘The Academy attracts a lot of our people, many writers, artists, various events... we want to respond to everyone, whatever they have to present, because we should be together, not divided’, says Žarko Brestovac, president of the Serbian Heritage Academy.

Radovan Gajić is a Serbian writer and poet who lives and works in Canada. On his latest book, he says that there is no emotion that he did not live through his characters while writing this collection of stories and poems. He found inspiration in the life stories of his neighbors on Gamble Street, who had moved to Canada in the 1990s.

‘These are all true stories, I know that some of my neighbors from Gamble will recognize themselves, I can write to them ‘this is your poem’, because that is so. They told me the story and I gave it the dimension that they had not because they cannot, but they are still in shock to this day’, says the poet Radovan Gajić.

All proceeds from the sale were donated to the humanitarian organization Small World, whose focus is on supporting and helping children during their education and vulnerable families in Serbia and Republic of Srpska.

The writer and poet Radovan Gajić believes the most in poetry and its power, which can move and turn things around, communicate the deepest truths and feelings. He believes in the word, which was in the beginning, but also in the poetic word.