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Key moments and achievements from Sreten Božić's life.
Sreten was born
· Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Immigration
Sreten Bozic left Yugoslavia in 1958 and spent two years as a refugee in Red Cross shelters in Paris before arriving in Australia in 1960. He would eventually settle in the country that would become the backdrop for his entire literary career, writing under the pen name B. Wongar.
Immigration
Sreten Bozic left Yugoslavia in 1958 and spent two years as a refugee in Red Cross shelters in Paris before arriving in Australia in 1960. He would eventually settle in the country that would become the backdrop for his entire literary career, writing under the pen name B. Wongar.
Cultural Immersion
Bozic lived with tribal Aboriginal people in northern Australia for ten years, during which time he was given the name Banumbir Wongar, meaning morning star and messenger from the spirit world, reportedly by his tribal wife Dumala and her relatives. This period profoundly shaped his literary voice and subject matter.
Cultural Immersion
Bozic lived with tribal Aboriginal people in northern Australia for ten years, during which time he was given the name Banumbir Wongar, meaning morning star and messenger from the spirit world, reportedly by his tribal wife Dumala and her relatives. This period profoundly shaped his literary voice and subject matter.
Published Work
Wongar's 1978 short story collection The Track to Bralgu was released to critical acclaim from the international press. The collection focused on the condition of Aboriginal people in Australia and established him as a significant literary voice, though his true identity would later spark controversy.
Published Work
Wongar's 1978 short story collection The Track to Bralgu was released to critical acclaim from the international press. The collection focused on the condition of Aboriginal people in Australia and established him as a significant literary voice, though his true identity would later spark controversy.
Academic Role
Wongar served as writer-in-residence at the Aboriginal Research Centre at Monash University in Melbourne. During this period he wrote his Nuclear Trilogy, a series of works exploring the impact of nuclear testing and environmental destruction on Aboriginal communities.
Academic Role
Wongar served as writer-in-residence at the Aboriginal Research Centre at Monash University in Melbourne. During this period he wrote his Nuclear Trilogy, a series of works exploring the impact of nuclear testing and environmental destruction on Aboriginal communities.
Cultural Debate
The revelation that B. Wongar was actually a Serbian immigrant named Sreten Bozic led to significant controversy and allegations of literary hoax and cultural appropriation. Despite this, his body of work spanning decades remains a distinctive contribution to Australian literature, raising complex questions about identity, authenticity, and advocacy.
Cultural Debate
The revelation that B. Wongar was actually a Serbian immigrant named Sreten Bozic led to significant controversy and allegations of literary hoax and cultural appropriation. Despite this, his body of work spanning decades remains a distinctive contribution to Australian literature, raising complex questions about identity, authenticity, and advocacy.
Sreten Božić passed away
