Zlata’s Diary

1. Zlata’s Diary A Child’s Life in Sarajevo By: Zlata Filipovic

2. March 30, 1992Hey, Diary! You know what I think? Since Anne Frank called her diary Kitty, maybe I could give you a name, too. What about Mimmy?All right then, let’s start. - Zlata

3. Zlata Filipovic After reading The Diary of Anne Frank in school, a young girl from Sarajevo began keeping her own journal. She didn’t realize that within 6 months, her own life would begin to mirror the book. Sarajevo became the center of a brutal war between Serbians and Bosnians, and 11 year old Zlata witnessed it all. Over the next two years she would document the war from her own perspective. Her diary was first published in 1993 by UNICEF, and in 1994 it was translated to English and published in America.

5. March 5, 1992Oh, God! Things are heating up in Sarajevo. On Sunday, a small group of armed civilians killed a Serbian wedding guest and wounded the priest. On Monday, the whole city was full of barricades. We didn’t even have bread. - Zlata

6. Bosnia Herzegovina

7. Zlata’s Family • Father – Malik • Mother – Alicia • Aunt(Mother’s Sister) – Melica • Uncle (Mother’s Brother) – Braco • Aunt (Braco’s wife) – Seka • Cousins – Mikica and Daco • Friends – Mirna and Nina

8. At the beginning… • Zlata’s life is that of a normal, upper middle class child in Bosnia. She attends school, spends time with friends, plays tennis and practices on the piano. • The first entries are what you would expect to find in an 11 year old’s journal. She complains about school, talks about birthday plans, etc. • She briefly mentions the war for the first time on October 22, 1991…

9. October 22, 1991Some reservists from Montenegro have entered Herzegovina. Why? For what? Politics, it seems, but I don’t understand politics. After Slovenia and Croatia, are the winds of war now blowing toward us? No, that’s impossible. - Zlata

10. Historical Significance • The historical significance of Zlata’s Diary is that there was a war between the Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats and Muslims were having a war. The book shows the hardships and emotional struggles that Zlata and other young people went through during that time which wasn’t more than 10 years ago.

11. The political significance of this book is that many things in the economy were going wrong during the time of the diary. Not having water is economically incorrect. • Zlata’s Diary shows that the government was politically corrupt. How could anyone want to kill someone else just because of a disagreement? That is basically what these governments were doing and it was very corrupt.

12. Setting • The story takes place in Sarajevo, the capital city of the Republic of Bosnia and Herezegovina. Since ancient times it has acted as a gateway for the people of Greece and Asia Minor migrating towards the Midwest of Europe. Sarajevo is also situated on the crossroads which runs along the valleys of the Bosnia and Neretva rivers. • Sarajevo is 19,741.02 square miles which is slightly smaller than West Virginia.

13. There are approximately 3,835,777 people living in Bosnia. • The major religions are Muslim, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant. • Major languages spoken: • Croatian • Serbian • Bosnian

14. Living With War • It isn’t long before Zlata understands that war in Sarajevo is inevitable. She continues to try to live her life as normally as possible, despite the drastic changes that are taking place. Tomorrow we are supposed to have our music concert at Skenderija Hall. Our teacher says we shouldn’t go because there will be 10,000 children there, and somebody might plant a bomb. Mommy says I shouldn’t go. So I won’t.

15. Living With War • Gunfire and bombs become the soundtrack to Zlata’s daily life. I’m trying to concentrate on my homework, but I simply can’t. Something is going on in town. You can hear gunfire from the hills. You can feel that something is coming, something very bad. The radio keeps playing “Sarajevo, My Love.” That’s very nice, but my stomach is still in knots. Mimmy, I’m afraid of war!

16. Living With War • As the war moves in, she can no longer hide from the gruesome events taking place around her. A girl, a medical student from Dubrovnik, was KILLED. Her blood spilled onto the bridge. In her final moments all she said was: “Is this Sarajevo?” HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE! I’m desperate. Mimmy, the war is here. PEACE, NOW!

17. Living With War • Over the next two years, Zlata documents her experience with unflinching truthfulness. War is no joke, it seems. It destroys, kills, burns, separates, brings unhappiness. Terrible shells fell today on the old town center. Terrible explosions.

18. May 7, 1992 Today a shell fell on the park in front of my house, the park where I used to play and sit with my girlfriends. A lot of people were hurt. Selma lost a kidney. AND NINA IS DEAD. A piece of shrapnel lodged in her brain and she died. Is it possible I’ll never see Nina again? Nina, an innocent 11 year old – the victim of a stupid war.

19. Safety at Last • After spending two horrific years in the middle of a bloody war, Zlata’s family escapes Bosnia-Herzegovinia and makes their way to Paris. • Zlata and her family moved to Dublin in 1994, where she spent the remainder of her childhood. • She graduated from the University of Oxford in 2001.

20. Zlata Today… • In 1999, she wrote the foreword to the book The Freedom Writer’s Diary • In 2006, Zlata co-edited the book Stolen Voices: Young People's War Diaries, from World War I to Iraq

21. Mixed Reviews From School Library Journal Zlata has been described as the new Anne Frank. While the circumstances are somewhat similar, and Zlata is intelligent and observant, this diary lacks the compelling style and mature perceptions that gave Anne Frank's account such universality. The entire situation in the former Yugoslavia, however, is of such currency and concern that any first-person account, especially one such as this that speaks so directly to adolescents, is important and necessary. While not great literature, the narrative provides a vivid description of the ravages of war and its effect upon one young woman, and, as such, is valuable for today's young adults.

22. How do I feel?