HISTORY
Detinjstvo – časopis o književnosti za decu (Childhood – a children’s literature journal) is the only scientific journal in the Republic of Serbia that consistently and continuously engages in theoretical and critical research of children’s literature and culture. Ever since the first issue was published in 1975, to the present day, such a thematic focus has proved not only necessary and intriguing, but a scientifically influential form of reflection on literary discourse as well.
In addition to the authors, the journal’s editors, themselves significant scholars of children’s literature, are responsible for the distinctive identity of the journal: Vladimir Milarić (from 1975 to 1984), Slobodan Ž. Marković (1984 to 1993), Živan Živković (1993 to 1996), Svetozar Malešev (1996/1997) and Jovan Ljuštanović (1997 to 2019). The editorial board, consisting of professors, critics, poets and writers from Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro, also made an unmistakable contribution in shaping Detinjstvo. The first editorial board consisted of editor-in-chief Vladimir Milarić, Jovan Dunjin, Ferenc Feher, Rade Obrenović, Svetislav Ruškuc, Zvonimir Balog, Franček Bohanc, Dalibor Cvitan, Vecko Domazetovski, Andrej Čipkar, Miroslav Đurović, France Forstnerič, Muris Idrizović, Vehbi Kikaj, Slobodan Ž. Marković, Čedomir Mirković, Aleksandar Popovski, Husein Tahmiščić, Novo Vuković, Vladeta Vuković and Pero Zubac. Its graphic designers, cover designers and illustrators shaped the visual authenticity of the journal: Živka Deak, Oskar Štefan, Cvetan Dimovski, Ivan Antolič, Branimir Prosenik, Gradimir Smuđa, Dušan Dimitrov, Mihal Kiralj, Slobodan Kuzmanov, Aleksandar Pedović, Ferenc Barat, Aleksandar Miškov, Dušan Pop Đurđev, Katarina Kelić and others.
The beginnings of the magazine in the 1970s were marked by the co-publishing collaboration of the Zmajeve dečje igre (Zmaj’s Children’s Games) with the “Kurirček” Festival in Maribor and the Literary Center “Kurirče – Kopački viduvanja” from Kičevo, and later with the “Lastavica” Colony from Sarajevo, the “Mladinska knjiga” of Ljubljana, “Dečje novine” from Gornji Milanovac and other publishers and cultural institutions.
Detinjstvo encourages and nurtures an innovative scientific approach to children’s books through international collaboration, as well. The concept of the journal includes sections and thematic blocks dedicated to poetic, literary-historical, literary-theoretical, cultural and interdisciplinary issues (Studies, New Research, Mirror of Criticism, Views, Jubilees, etc.). The journal publishes original scientific papers that testify to the importance of diverse methodological starting points in the contemporary reading of literary heritage; new readings of the classics, as well as interpretations and reviews of the most recent scientific and fiction production; illuminations of historical rhythms in the reading and critical reception; understanding the challenges of translation literature; periodicals for children; comparative analyses; original studies dedicated to the cultural status of literature for children and young people; interdisciplinary and intermedia research (film, comics, theater, electronic texts, picture books, animation, puppetry, book adaptations); interviews, presentations, articles and reviews focusing on the phenomenon of childhood.
A separate part of the tradition of the journal is the publication of papers from the Savetovanje Zmajevih dečjih igara (Conference of Zmaj’s Children’s Games), where eminent creators and scholars of children’s literature lead a face-to face discussion about the key topics of this literary field and subsequently write about them, inspiring a further debate both in the narrow, literary, and the broader cultural context.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia has categorized Detinjstvo as a prominent national journal (M52) in the domain of the humanities, since 2015. That satisfaction obliges us to further work on the improvement of this journal’s scientific standards, its visibility and quality.
The journal Detinjstvo is open to all authors from the country, from the region and from abroad, as long as they are interested in literature for children and young people and the phenomenon of childhood, as well as to young researchers and postgraduate students.
It is published annually in four issues.
After initial editorial reading, all papers are submitted for review (double-blind peer reviews). If there are two positive reviews, the author will receive a manuscript approval no later than six months after submitting the text.
Childhood publishes original and peer-reviewed scientific studies and articles, scientific criticisms and controversies in Serbian and other European languages, in Cyrillic and Latin script.
Manuscripts can be sent to: casopisdetinjstvo@gmail.com
All issues of Detinjstvo published so far are available in print and electronic form.
