Josip Novakovich

Josip Novakovich is a Professor of English at Concordia University, Montreal, specializing in fiction and nonfiction writing. He has held visiting positions at Hebrew University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Cincinnati, Bard College, and Freie Universitaet Berlin. His work explores the culture, politics, and history of the former Yugoslavia, alongside themes of language acquisition and transnational identity.

• University of Texas at Austin, MA in English/Creative Writing (1988)
• Yale University, MDiv (1982)
• Vassar College, BA in Psychology (1978)
• University of Novi Sad, School of Medicine (1975-1976)

Josip's research focuses on fiction and nonfiction writing, particularly examining the cultural and political legacy of the former Yugoslavia. His narratives often blend personal experience with historical context, addressing themes of war, trauma, immigration, and linguistic identity. He has contributed to pedagogical texts like Writing Fiction Step by Step and Fiction Writer’s Workshop, emphasizing accessible teaching methods.

His literary output includes 15+ books published internationally, with translations in French, Croatian, Bulgarian, and other languages. Recurring motifs include exile, memory, and the interplay between personal and collective history.

• Science and Technology
• Medical Humanities
• Balkan Studies
• Post-Colonial Theory
• Migration Studies
• Comparative Literature

• Black Mountain Institute Fellowship
• Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship
• Guggenheim Fellowship
• Whiting Writer's Award
• U.S. National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship
• Paterson Fiction Prize Finalist
• Pushcart Prizes
• Richard Margolis Prize
• W.K. Rose Fellowship
• Cohen Award

Josip has received multiple fellowships and awards, including the NEA Fellowship in Fiction and a Fulbright Scholarship. He has mentored students through core faculty roles in multidisciplinary MFA programs at Bard College and Summer Literary Seminars since 1998. His teaching spans institutions like Nebraska Indian Community College, Breadloaf Writers’ Conference, and Freie Universitaet Berlin.