The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Canberra and be:longing online magazine organized a Serbian Soiree literary evening at the residence of the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia in Canberra, which was attended by about 50 prominent individuals – primarily members of the Canberra Serbian community, but also guests from Sydney and Melbourne, and a number of Australian cultural milieu professionals. Serbian media representatives in Australia – SBS radio (program in Serbian) and Srpski Glas weekly – also accepted the invitation.

This was also the occasion to officially launch Slobodanka Vasiljković Graham’s book of sketch art, Summer Sketches: Belgrade and Montenegro, inspired by her visit to Serbia and the region. Several poems of our poet Vesna Cvjetićanin were presented, read by actress Dijana Jovičić. At the same time, the guests had the opportunity to learn details about the lives of the two artists, their arrival in Australia, as well as their past cultural achievements, etc.

Addressing the guests, Ambassador Stefanović emphasized the importance of preserving Serbian culture and nurturing Serbian tradition and language, especially in countries as far away as Australia. He pointed out the need for as frequent gatherings as possible on such and similar occasions, and expressed his satisfaction with recent events such as the 20th, jubilee Serbian Film Festival, as well as the upcoming Serbian Festival (22-23 April this year) in Sydney (to celebrate its 10th anniversary this year), which contribute to the visibility of the Serbian community and the Republic of Serbia in Australia.

Source and photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Serbia