Nikola Petković (1962) is a scholar writer, literary critic, translator, and screenwriter.  

He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin (1996). Aside from teaching in Austin, he taught at various universities at the US. Upon his return to Croatia he continued with his transatlantic engagement. Summer 2011he spent at Cornell. Spring semester of the academic year (2014/2015) he spent at Tel Aviv University teaching a graduate class Law in Literature, Law as Literature.  

He presently works at the University of Rijeka where he teaches classes on identities, contemporary cultural theories, intercultural communication, literatures of minorities and a newly designed class From Utopia to Dystopia. He also taught courses in aesthetics in the Department of philosophy. 

Aside from his engagement at his home institution, professor Petkovic teaches graduate courses at the Faculty of Political Sciences, and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Zagreb. 

Together with Professor Akeel Bilgrami from Columbia University (New York) Nikola Petkovic directed the course entitled Secularism, Liberalism, Identity annually held at the Interuniversity Center, Dubrovnik, Croatia.  
    
From 1006 till 2018 he was weekly columnist of daily paper Novi list in Rijeka. He also conducts literary events at many Croatian Public Libraries where he hosts renowned national and international writers and intellectuals.  

Nikola Petkovic served two consecutive terms as the president of The Croatian Writers Society (2011-2018). 

Selected Works 

Scholarly Books in Croatian:

    What We Talk About When We Talk About Identity? (O čemu govorimo kada govorimo o identitetu?), Zagreb: Disput,2020. 

Identity and Border, Hibridity and Language, Culture and Citizenship of 21st Century. (Identitet i granica, hibridnost i jezik, kultura i građanstvo 21. stoljeća ), Zagreb: Jesenski i Turk, 2010.

Harterije I: Hrvatsko pjesništvo početka milenija, (Croatian Poetry at the Beginning of the Millennium), Zagreb: HDP i Jesenski i Turk. 2009.  

Harterije I, III: Hrvatsko pjesništvo početka milenija, (Croatian Poetry as the the Millennium continues),  Zagreb: HDP, 2013. 

Harterije IV: Hrvatsko pjesništvo početka milenija, (Croatian Poetry as the the Millennium continues),  Zagreb: HDP, 2016. 

Scholarly Books in English and Croatian 
    A Central Europe of Our Own: Postmodernism, Postcolonialism, Postcommunism and The Absence of Authenticity. (second edition) Frankfurt AM, Central European Library, Dibido Publishers, 2009. Srednja Europa: mit, zbilja, utopija. A Central Europe of Our Own: Postmodernism, Postcolonialism, Postcommunism and The Absence of Authenticity. Adamić, Rijeka, 2003. (first edition) 

Essays:    
A 2 DM Brain (Mozak od 2 marke)  (a collection of essays written between 1996-1998 that deals with art, literature, culture and politics within both global and national ramifications of Franjo Tudjman’s rule in Croatia), Adamic Press, Biblioteka Veljko Vičević, Rijeka, 2001.

Novels in English

How To Tie Your Shoes (novel) Chicago, Dublin, Victoria, TX: Dalkey Archive Press, 2017. 
    
Novels in Croatian
    
Put u Gonars. (On the Way to Gonars) Zagreb: Profil, 2018. (T-Portal Award for the best Croatian novel in 2018.) 

Kako svezati cipele (How to Tie your shoes) Novel, Zagreb: Algoritam, 2011.

Uspavanka za mrtve (A Lullaby for the Dead)) Zagreb: Profil International, 2007.

Priče iz Davnine (Stories From Ancient Times).  Zagreb, Croatia:  Quorum, 1989.

Poetry in Croatian

Odisejev Pas (Ulysses’ Dog) Zagreb: Durieux & hdp, 2007.

Dan na bijelu hljebu. (Day on White Bread) .Meandar, Zagreb. April 2001.

    Melodije Istre i Kvarnera (Melodies of Istria and the Adriatic). Rijeka, Croatia: ICR, 1989.

    Vile i Vilenjaci (Fairies). Zagreb, Croatia: QUORUM, 1984.

Poetry in English

Las Regiones Perdidas (Poem; Bibliophile edition) LaNana Creek Press: Nacogdoches, 2001.

A Childreen Book

Vila-Riječ (Word-Fairy), Zagreb: Kasmir Promet, 2013. (illustrated by Andrea Petrlik-Huseinovic)

Selected translations:
(from Croatian into English)

Vitez crne psovke, The Knight of a Dark Curse; a documentary on Janko Polic Kamov, Croatian author, scenarist: Goran Ježić, Redatelj: Bernarndin Modrić 2001

Selection from the Contemporary Croatian Poetry (Krešimir Bagić, Delimir Rešicki) Riversedge,.
Vol. XII-2. (Fall, 1997): 34-41

(from Bosnian into English) 

Short stories by Muharem Bazdulj’s collection, Druga knjiga (Second Book), Northwestern University Press, Evanston, Il: 2001.a

(from English into Croatian)
Jamaica Kincaid. The Autobiography of My Mother, Autobiografija moje majke. Zagreb: Profil
International, 2005.
Legenda o medvjedu/Brother Bear. Animated feature, Disney, Zagreb: Ater studio, 2004. 

Films (screenplays written and co-directed)
"Nikola Luzer i Bakar, ljubav za štoriju ka dura." ("Nikola Luzer and the Love for Everlasting Story") (documentary) Rijeka, 2005. 

“Bakar, 4 godišnja doba”, (“Bakar 4 Seasons”), a pseudo-documentary, Rijeka, 2008. 

EDITORIAL WORK WITH PUBLISHING HOUSES

Associate Editor for the following publishers:
    Peter Lang, Germany
RE:AL, a Literary Periodical, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX
UT Press, UT Pan American, Edinburg, TX
    Quorum Press, Zagreb
    Izdavački Centar Rijeka, Rijeka
    Hrvatski Leksikografski Zavod, Zagreb
    Jesenski & Turk, Zagreb
    Profil, Zagreb
    
Reader for the following publishers:
    Northwestern UP, Evanston, IL
NYU Press, New York
    Central European Library, Dibido Publishers, Frankfurt AM, Germany
    John Benjamin’s Publishing Company, Amsterdam Philadelphia
Grafički Zavod Hrvatske, Zagreb
    Matica Hrvatska, Zagreb
    Znanje, Zagreb
    Profil International, Zagreb
Algoritam, Zagreb
 

GRANTS
2012 The Danish Arts Council’s Committee for Literature and the Danish Writer’s Association (one month grant in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and Hald Hovedgaard). 
2008 –   Hybrid Identities and Border Cultures, Croatian Ministry of Science (a 4 year research grant)
2002     Summer, a Stephen F Austin State University mini-grant to research Miroslav Krleza's Archives in Croatia and to work on a book project at the University of Bucharest, Rumania. 
1997/98  Individual University of Texas-Pan American Faculty Research Council Grant.  A one-year grant for the project “Cultural Hybridity Between Post and Past: A Comparative Analysis of the Twentieth Century Chicano and Croatian Fiction.”
1995/97 Individual Research Support Scheme Grant (awarded through the Soros Foundation, Central European 
University in Prague and Budapest. A two year-grant to pursue research on my project: The Post in Postcolonial and Postmodern: the Case of Central Europe).

AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
2013    The City of Rijeka Award for scholarly work and special achievement in culture in 2013. 
2013    Full Stipend for directing the course Secularism, Liberalism, Identity at the Interuniversity Center in Dubrovnik, Croatia (Awarded by the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports)
2012    Full Stipend for directing the course Secularism, Liberalism, Identity at the Interuniversity Center in Dubrovnik, Croatia (Awarded by the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports)
2011    Full Scholarship, The School of Criticism and Theory, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
2011    The Endowment of Science Award for the overall scholarly and teaching achievement in the Academic Year 2010/2011
2010     The Annual City of Bakar Award (awarded for scholarly and creative work in 2009/2010).  
1995/96 Continuing Fellowship, University of Texas at Austin (full year dissertation scholarship). 
1995    Spring Semester International Scholarship, International Office, University of Texas at Austin
1994    Professional Development Award, Program in Comparative Literature, University of Texas at Austin (travel grant to American Comparative Literature Association 1994)
1992    Full Scholarship, The School of Criticism and Theory, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH (for classes with R. Rorty, J. Hillis-Miller, and B. Johnson); a matching grant from Graduate School, University of Texas at Austin 
1992    Summer Semester International Scholarship, International Office, University of Texas at Austin
1992    Professional Development Award, Program in Comparative Literature, University of Texas at Austin (travel grant to SCT, Dartmouth College, 1992)
1990    University of Zagreb Scholarship at Interuniversity Center for Postgraduate Studies, Dubrovnik (Spring Semester)
1989    Croatian Office for Arts and Sciences Scholarship at Interuniversity Center for Postgraduate Studies, Dubrovnik (Spring Semester)
1987    Croatian Office for Arts and Sciences Scholarship at Interuniversity Center for Postgraduate Studies, Dubrovnik (Spring Semester)
1985    University of Zagreb, English Department Scholarship at Interuniversity Center for Postgraduate Studies, Dubrovnik (Spring Semester)
1984    University of Zagreb, Department of Comparative Literature Scholarship at Interuniversity Center for Postgraduate Studies, Dubrovnik (Spring Semester)

TEACHING AWARDS
2000     Outstanding Faculty Award given for Teaching and Research Achievements in the 1999/2000 Academic Year, The University of Texas Pan American
2000     (Spring) The Essence of Leadership Award, The University of Texas Pan American
2000     (Spring) Undergraduate Research Scholar Program Award, The University of Texas Pan American
1999    The Essence of Leadership Award, The University of Texas Pan American 
1998    UTPA Intercollegiate Athletics Department Award (in recognition and appreciation for the     support and leadership to the University of Texas Pan American Student-Athletes)

Scholarly Committees
Elected member of the Research Committee on Eastern and South-Eastern Europe,  
International Comparative Literature Association Research Committee on East and South-East Europe, May 2000-2005
As a coordinator and a member engaged in two Projects:
1. L'image  des Balkans dans le mirroir de la litterature eurpenne moderne (2002-2004) - Program's Coordinator
2. Misleading Synonyms: Post-Communism and Post-Colonialism (2002 through 2005

HONORS AND AWARDS: Creative Writing 

2019    The City of Rijeka Award for the best Croatian novel in 2018
2018    T-Portal Award for the best Croatian novel in 2018  
1985    Best Poem, Struga's Evenings of Poetry International Award
1985    Best Book of Poetry, Gervais Foundation (Rijeka) [for manuscript of Melodies of Istria and the Adriatic]
1985    Second-Place in poetry, Goran's Spring (Yugoslavian Festival of Poetry)
1984    Second-Place Award for Poetry, Goran's Spring (Yugoslavian Festival of Poetry)

GRANTS: Creative Writing
2012    Financial Stimulation Grant, Croatian Ministry of Culture (to write a collection of Limericks) 
1989    Financial Stimulation Grant, Croatian Cultural Office (for poetry manuscript, Coronation)
1987    Financial Stimulation Grant, Croatian Culture Office (for novel manuscript, Stories from Ancient Times)
1985    Financial Stimulation Grant, Croatian Cultural Office (for poetry manuscript, Melodies of Istria and the Adriatic)

AWARDS (Film)
2008. Apoxiomen International Film Festival, Veli Lošinj, Croatia. BEST MOVIE (Bakar, 4 Seasons)
2008. International Film Festival Split, BEST SCREENPLAY (Bakar, 4 Seasons)