The contest is traditionally composed of 5 elimination rounds. In each round, the number of authors decreases, and in the last, Fifth round, the winner is decided by a voting system based on the Eurovision Song Contest scoring system. The main responsible person of the contest is Nermin Delić, the idea creator and organizer of the contest. For 8 years in a row, Mili Dueli have been gathering authors and spreading the influence of poetry in everyday life.

Nermin Delić

Briefly about the First Round: The selection of all received applications (739) was performed by Nermin Delić. The organizer selected 476 authors for presentation in the Second Round.

Briefly about the Second Round: After the selection in the First Round by the organizer of the contest, Nermin Delić, 476 authors were selected and presented in the Second Round. In the Second Round, the authors are classified in 12 duels, according to the countries they come from. Due to the number of participants, Bosnia and Herzegovina had 2 duels (DUEL 1, DUEL 2), and Serbia 3 (DUEL 3, DUEL 4, DUEL 5). Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bulgaria had one duel each (DUEL 6, DUEL 7, DUEL 8, DUEL 9). Due to the small number of participants, authors from Albania, Greece, Kosovo, Romania and Slovenia were presented in one duel (DUEL 10). Poets with Balkan roots, but with current residence outside the Balkans, are grouped together in one duel (DUEL 11). In the end, all authors coming from non-Balkan countries are grouped into one duel (DUEL 12).

The beginning of the presentation of the duel on the official Facebook profile of Mili Dueli was on July 12, 2020. Duels are presented in order, every 2-3 or 4 days according to the scope of the duel. For the first 15 days from the presentation of the duel, the followers of Mili Dueli were able to vote in the comments by entering the author’s number below the picture where her/his poem is presented. In addition to the readers, the members of the jury, composed of 12 renowned and important for Mili Duel artists from the Balkans, also voted. They selected 90% of the authors to pass to the Third Round. The other 10% is intended for the votes of the readers, for those who were not selected by the jury, and who have the great support of their friends and companions Mili Dueli.

Briefly about the Third Round: In the third round, the selection of the best authors continued and only the TOP 100 best authors had the opportunity to continue.

Briefly about the Fourth Round: The fourth round is brought by the TOP 50 best authors who pass to the final, fifth round. It is composed of a total of 16 duels.

You can see more about the Fourth Round (how it is voted, how it is organized) here:

Mili Dueli 2020: Organization Of The Fourth Round

FOURTH ROUND (SEMI-FINALS)

RESULTS

First of all, an important announcement … In the fourth round, we were looking for the 50 best authors according to the procedure established by the organization of the competition. Looking at the results, as the Organizer, I realized that in certain duels, the authors were much more dominant, and that surely many more authors deserved to pass, at least according to the presentation in the semifinals. For that purpose, I decided that the number of authors who go directly further should be 36, and that a total of 34 authors should fight for the remaining 14 places. All those authors who did not go directly further will equally send the poem for the finals, but only 14 of them will be presented, based on the quality of the submitted poem and the accompanying video material that traditionally adorns our Finals. More about everything, certainly below …

DUEL 16 –  NORTH AMERICA AND SOUTH AMERICA

WHAT’S NEXT? (PREPARATION FOR THE FINALS)

DARK BLUE. Authors who entered the TOP 50 directly! These authors are officially the finalists of this season, therefore, participants in the last round of Mili DuelI 2020/21. From this moment on, they need to contact their mentors and start preparing the poem for the Finals. All details related to the preparation and sending of the poem for the Finals will be received in a private message in the inbox. Please be patient!

LIGHT BLUE. – Authors who has chance to participate in the finals, the last round of Mili Duels 2020/21. These are authors who did not go directly to the final round, but due to the fantastic performance in the semifinals, the Organizer decided to give a new opportunity to promote their poetry. There are a total of 34 of them in such a situation, and 14 of them will be participants in the Finals. The decision will be made by the Organizer based on their application for the Finals. From this point on, they can also contact their mentors and start preparing a poem for the Finals.

TOP 100 – Authors who remained in the TOP 100 and did not make it to the Mili Dueli 2020 Finals. Their contribution to the spread of the project and poetry will be rewarded by receiving electronic recognition for their participation as they represented their countries in a bright light (TOP 100 from 739 registered !!!), and will accordingly receive recognition for the intercultural dialogue of the Balkan countries and the countries of the world in which they participated.

All the presented poems will be represented in a electronic collection which, apparently, will have its own printed edition (summer, 2021), when MILI DUELI BALKAN TOUR awaits us. More on that soon!

Also, all authors who are 2000 or younger will be presented at the MILI DUEL JUNIOR ONLINE POETRY CONTEST which will start a few days after the end of the eighth season of Mili Duels 2020 – Online Balkan Poetry Contest!

JURY COMMENTS

Organizer: NERMIN DELIĆ

Dear friends,

First of all, thank you for showing the greatest sense of loyalty to the whole project this season. The Corona-year prolonged the contest itself, and at the same time some of my private achievements happened (I finished university and started working), so the time spent on the project was reduced to a certain extent. Either way, our play through poetry continued, and so in these wonderful summer days we had the opportunity to read the 100 most representative authors we had so carefully selected.

In this, the fourth and at the same time penultimate round, we had the opportunity to enjoy the poetry of all Balkan countries, but also many countries around the world. Somewhere it turned out to be good that there was longer voting time than in previous seasons. Looking at the number of views of all the semi-final poems, with 328,492 views on Facebook, my mission was already fulfilled. Looking at the countries that read us, I could not stop, if I started to list … Almost 330,000 times we entered the everyday life of people on social media with poetry… I noticed at the beginning that there were two camps among the authors; one who enthusiastically welcomed the publication of their poem and those who did not promote their poetry even to their friends. The former shared the same with their friends, because for the first time, somewhere in our region, people can vote for poetry; for the first time it was important to point out that you have passed the selection of 739 authors and you are one step closer to the end, exclusively with your poetry. Because this was not an invitation to like the conquest of handbags, irons, shelves, etc., this was an invitation to the world of poetry in which each of these 100 great authors lives!. But probably everyone had their reasons for being one and not the other, and from that point of view it certainly can’t be a complaint. I rewarded some of the poems, even though they had poor readability, because they are masterful in themselves!

Just led by a mass of people who wrote me every day who they were voting for, shared your poems so beautifully and decorated their Facebook walls, I didn’t want to conflict my opinion with the opinion of the masses. But points always say it all. So in this case. I started to comment and went in order, all in order to write as good and clear comments as possible, WHY such points. But then I finally realized that in most cases the same mistake, the same comment, was written only in different words.

Therefore, I decided to point out in general the following …

When submitting a poem, to any contest, anywhere, even where you are already sure that the poem will be published, awarded, or generally given some recognition, please take note of the following:

1. LITERACY. There were so many mistakes that turned me away from some nice emotions I felt while reading your poems. If you’re a writer, that doesn’t mean you have to be computer-wise and orthographically perfect, but if you’re sending a poem somewhere, to someone, let it be viewed with other eyes as well; maybe someone who knows maybe less than you will know something more about certain things. It is this item that is crucial in depriving the spirit of amateurism that a writer can carry within himself. Four-dot in poems, spaces several times, unnecessary punctuation marks in the wrong places; all of which violates the RHYTHM and AESTHETIC VALUES and, ultimately, the GENERAL IMPRESSION of the poem. If you make me take a break in the wrong place with a comma, that thread that runs the poem will break, and I will remain confused. I have to admit that these mistakes were greatly reduced, as a team of mentors worked with the authors, but there were authors who submitted their poems without a mentor and where such mistakes were noticed.
2. WORK WITH A MENTOR. This item may be crucial, as it involves collaboration on the selection and / or correction of a semi-final poem. It’s not just a conversation about a poem, it’s a conversation of two cultures, often two peoples, and you were representatives of your own. The basis of any peace is acquaintance, cooperation and compromise.
   We did not take it as evil if an author, in the words of his mentor, still insisted on being “according to him”, but it is a completely wrong form not to respect the form of the contest that requires cooperation, therefore, not to contact his mentor at all, not to greet him.
   My impression is certainly complemented by the opinion of my colleagues, members of the jury, and your mentors, and in this regard we are looking for a person who will be a part of us in the next season of the contest.
3. OPINION OF READERS / YOUR FRIENDS. We should never primarily be guided by the number of likes and reviews that one author has achieved on the social network, because then the competition part would mean a struggle for numbers, and not for the quality of the poem. However, I am of the opinion that on this occasion as well, through the number of votes cast, you showed two things; first – how much you actually care about going through; the second – how much support you can actually collect for your poetry. I note that for the first time it is a vote for poetry, where free votes decide who will be the winner. In this regard, I rewarded all the authors who heartily presented their poem.
4. POETIC VALUE OF THE TEXT. Many of the texts in the verse that are sent are often not clarified as poetry, so it was necessary to point out to the authors what is poetic and what is not in their poems. Judging subjectively, the original metaphors and comparisons are something I admired the most, because they impress the most. The most common example I give to everyone is this: if it was written IT WAS COLD it has less poetic value than IT WAS ICE, where in the same sense, a metaphor is introduced. If someone writes IT WAS WHITE LIKE SNOW, which is expected, clichéd and outdated, it will certainly be less impressive than IT WAS WHITE LIKE A NEEDLE HOUSE.
   When it comes to rhyming poems, rhymes should not be surpassed and expected. Here, too, the use of new poetic words and their skillfully found rhymes was appreciated. Of course, no one should invent hot water, but every step out of everyday life was considered a success.
5. AESTHETIC VALUE OF THE TEXT. Applications submitted for the semifinals were to be complete. Any answer to the questions related to the biography and the general impression of the author about the contest was evaluated. Also, the poem itself was supposed to be completely computer-correct. It is extremely unnecessary to point out grammatical / spelling mistakes to someone in this round of the competition, because every such mistake is a sign of the author’s lack of dedication to the text and work with a mentor.
6. GENERAL IMPRESSION. The authors have sent poems in the previous three rounds, too. It is also, a significant factor that influenced the distribution of my points.

Opinions from other Jury members:

Their mentor, Anđela Turukalo said:

“Anne Thrope… This is one very vivid poem. It has some strong energy and I like Anne’s unique expression. I do believe that the ‘shape’ of the poem (or it’s form) could be more precise and more arranged, but nevertheless- I find this very well done.

Thiago Resende Soares… I appreciate the way how the three ideas are connected and intertwined. Yet, since the “Time” and “Death” are mentioned less times than “Love”, I do feel like the “Love” is too repetitive (the word itself). Also, I feel like there’s too much of explanations and not enough of depth in the expression. Yet, the poem brings a message clearly. So, I’m satisfied with this.”

Lela Zjajo from Germany said this: “There is and there is no expected poetry. I wish I had stayed thrilled but a lot is missing from these poems that would get my attention or a return to re-reading. I read and realized that these two poems left no trace in my soul. I am an irrevocable supporter of emotion and readable poetry, clarity, even if it was written in the simplest terms. The soul is missing here, the fluttering poetics is missing. Brutal everyday life leaves traces in these written verses. I’m sorry for my rudeness maybe, but the Finals need something much stronger, more meaningful, more energetic …”

You can read poems by American authors here:

Mili Dueli 2020/21: Poezija američkih autora (Polufinale)

MILI DUELI 

Made in Bosnia and Herzegovina
by Nermin Delić

Europe / Balkan Peninsula
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Central Bosnia Canton
Jajce Town 70202

Sva prava zadržana. // All rights reserved.

Objava MILI DUELI 2020/21: Semi-final results – DUEL 16 – South America and North America pojavila se prvi puta na Mili Dueli.

The contest is traditionally composed of 5 elimination rounds. In each round, the number of authors decreases, and in the last, Fifth round, the winner is decided by a voting system based on the Eurovision Song Contest scoring system. The main responsible person of the contest is Nermin Delić, the idea creator and organizer of the contest. For 8 years in a row, Mili Dueli have been gathering authors and spreading the influence of poetry in everyday life.

Nermin Delić

Briefly about the First Round: The selection of all received applications (739) was performed by Nermin Delić. The organizer selected 476 authors for presentation in the Second Round.

Briefly about the Second Round: After the selection in the First Round by the organizer of the contest, Nermin Delić, 476 authors were selected and presented in the Second Round. In the Second Round, the authors are classified in 12 duels, according to the countries they come from. Due to the number of participants, Bosnia and Herzegovina had 2 duels (DUEL 1, DUEL 2), and Serbia 3 (DUEL 3, DUEL 4, DUEL 5). Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bulgaria had one duel each (DUEL 6, DUEL 7, DUEL 8, DUEL 9). Due to the small number of participants, authors from Albania, Greece, Kosovo, Romania and Slovenia were presented in one duel (DUEL 10). Poets with Balkan roots, but with current residence outside the Balkans, are grouped together in one duel (DUEL 11). In the end, all authors coming from non-Balkan countries are grouped into one duel (DUEL 12).

The beginning of the presentation of the duel on the official Facebook profile of Mili Dueli was on July 12, 2020. Duels are presented in order, every 2-3 or 4 days according to the scope of the duel. For the first 15 days from the presentation of the duel, the followers of Mili Dueli were able to vote in the comments by entering the author’s number below the picture where her/his poem is presented. In addition to the readers, the members of the jury, composed of 12 renowned and important for Mili Duel artists from the Balkans, also voted. They selected 90% of the authors to pass to the Third Round. The other 10% is intended for the votes of the readers, for those who were not selected by the jury, and who have the great support of their friends and companions Mili Dueli.

Briefly about the Third Round: In the third round, the selection of the best authors continued and only the TOP 100 best authors had the opportunity to continue.

Briefly about the Fourth Round: The fourth round is brought by the TOP 50 best authors who pass to the final, fifth round. It is composed of a total of 16 duels.

You can see more about the Fourth Round (how it is voted, how it is organized) here:

Mili Dueli 2020: Organization Of The Fourth Round

FOURTH ROUND (SEMI-FINALS)

RESULTS

First of all, an important announcement … In the fourth round, we were looking for the 50 best authors according to the procedure established by the organization of the competition. Looking at the results, as the Organizer, I realized that in certain duels, the authors were much more dominant, and that surely many more authors deserved to pass, at least according to the presentation in the semifinals. For that purpose, I decided that the number of authors who go directly further should be 36, and that a total of 34 authors should fight for the remaining 14 places. All those authors who did not go directly further will equally send the poem for the finals, but only 14 of them will be presented, based on the quality of the submitted poem and the accompanying video material that traditionally adorns our Finals. More about everything, certainly below …

DUEL 15 –  EUROPE (NON-BALKAN COUNTRIES)

 Voting Order: 1. NERMIN DELIĆ (Organizer) 2. ANĐELA TURUKALO (Mentor) 3.  DANJA GAŠPAR ĐOKIĆ (Additional Jury Member)     4. ZDRAVKO ODORČIĆ (Additional Jury Member)  5. LJUBICA PETROVIĆ KOSOR (Additional Jury Member)  6. ENEA HOTIĆ (Additional Jury Member)  7. SIMO GOLUBOVIĆ (Additional Jury Member)   8. FACEBOOK VOTES (1st column – total likes author’s poem got; 2nd column – likes from our followers; 3rd column – No. of poem views) 9. INSTAGRAM VOTES (1st column – No. of poem views; 2nd column – No. of likes poem got)

WHAT’S NEXT? (PREPARATION FOR THE FINALS)

DARK BLUE. Authors who entered the TOP 50 directly! These authors are officially the finalists of this season, therefore, participants in the last round of Mili DuelI 2020/21. From this moment on, they need to contact their mentors and start preparing the poem for the Finals. All details related to the preparation and sending of the poem for the Finals will be received in a private message in the inbox. Please be patient!

LIGHT BLUE. – Authors who has chance to participate in the finals, the last round of Mili Duels 2020/21. These are authors who did not go directly to the final round, but due to the fantastic performance in the semifinals, the Organizer decided to give a new opportunity to promote their poetry. There are a total of 34 of them in such a situation, and 14 of them will be participants in the Finals. The decision will be made by the Organizer based on their application for the Finals. From this point on, they can also contact their mentors and start preparing a poem for the Finals.

TOP 100 – Authors who remained in the TOP 100 and did not make it to the Mili Dueli 2020 Finals. Their contribution to the spread of the project and poetry will be rewarded by receiving electronic recognition for their participation as they represented their countries in a bright light (TOP 100 from 739 registered !!!), and will accordingly receive recognition for the intercultural dialogue of the Balkan countries and the countries of the world in which they participated.

All the presented poems will be represented in a electronic collection which, apparently, will have its own printed edition (summer, 2021), when MILI DUELI BALKAN TOUR awaits us. More on that soon!

Also, all authors who are 2000 or younger will be presented at the MILI DUEL JUNIOR ONLINE POETRY CONTEST which will start a few days after the end of the eighth season of Mili Duels 2020 – Online Balkan Poetry Contest!

JURY COMMENTS

Organizer: NERMIN DELIĆ

Dear friends,

First of all, thank you for showing the greatest sense of loyalty to the whole project this season. The Corona-year prolonged the contest itself, and at the same time some of my private achievements happened (I finished university and started working), so the time spent on the project was reduced to a certain extent. Either way, our play through poetry continued, and so in these wonderful summer days we had the opportunity to read the 100 most representative authors we had so carefully selected.

In this, the fourth and at the same time penultimate round, we had the opportunity to enjoy the poetry of all Balkan countries, but also many countries around the world. Somewhere it turned out to be good that there was longer voting time than in previous seasons. Looking at the number of views of all the semi-final poems, with 328,492 views on Facebook, my mission was already fulfilled. Looking at the countries that read us, I could not stop, if I started to list … Almost 330,000 times we entered the everyday life of people on social media with poetry… I noticed at the beginning that there were two camps among the authors; one who enthusiastically welcomed the publication of their poem and those who did not promote their poetry even to their friends. The former shared the same with their friends, because for the first time, somewhere in our region, people can vote for poetry; for the first time it was important to point out that you have passed the selection of 739 authors and you are one step closer to the end, exclusively with your poetry. Because this was not an invitation to like the conquest of handbags, irons, shelves, etc., this was an invitation to the world of poetry in which each of these 100 great authors lives!. But probably everyone had their reasons for being one and not the other, and from that point of view it certainly can’t be a complaint. I rewarded some of the poems, even though they had poor readability, because they are masterful in themselves!

Just led by a mass of people who wrote me every day who they were voting for, shared your poems so beautifully and decorated their Facebook walls, I didn’t want to conflict my opinion with the opinion of the masses. But points always say it all. So in this case. I started to comment and went in order, all in order to write as good and clear comments as possible, WHY such points. But then I finally realized that in most cases the same mistake, the same comment, was written only in different words.

Therefore, I decided to point out in general the following …

When submitting a poem, to any contest, anywhere, even where you are already sure that the poem will be published, awarded, or generally given some recognition, please take note of the following:

1. LITERACY. There were so many mistakes that turned me away from some nice emotions I felt while reading your poems. If you’re a writer, that doesn’t mean you have to be computer-wise and orthographically perfect, but if you’re sending a poem somewhere, to someone, let it be viewed with other eyes as well; maybe someone who knows maybe less than you will know something more about certain things. It is this item that is crucial in depriving the spirit of amateurism that a writer can carry within himself. Four-dot in poems, spaces several times, unnecessary punctuation marks in the wrong places; all of which violates the RHYTHM and AESTHETIC VALUES and, ultimately, the GENERAL IMPRESSION of the poem. If you make me take a break in the wrong place with a comma, that thread that runs the poem will break, and I will remain confused. I have to admit that these mistakes were greatly reduced, as a team of mentors worked with the authors, but there were authors who submitted their poems without a mentor and where such mistakes were noticed.
2. WORK WITH A MENTOR. This item may be crucial, as it involves collaboration on the selection and / or correction of a semi-final poem. It’s not just a conversation about a poem, it’s a conversation of two cultures, often two peoples, and you were representatives of your own. The basis of any peace is acquaintance, cooperation and compromise.
   We did not take it as evil if an author, in the words of his mentor, still insisted on being “according to him”, but it is a completely wrong form not to respect the form of the contest that requires cooperation, therefore, not to contact his mentor at all, not to greet him.
   My impression is certainly complemented by the opinion of my colleagues, members of the jury, and your mentors, and in this regard we are looking for a person who will be a part of us in the next season of the contest.
3. OPINION OF READERS / YOUR FRIENDS. We should never primarily be guided by the number of likes and reviews that one author has achieved on the social network, because then the competition part would mean a struggle for numbers, and not for the quality of the poem. However, I am of the opinion that on this occasion as well, through the number of votes cast, you showed two things; first – how much you actually care about going through; the second – how much support you can actually collect for your poetry. I note that for the first time it is a vote for poetry, where free votes decide who will be the winner. In this regard, I rewarded all the authors who heartily presented their poem.
4. POETIC VALUE OF THE TEXT. Many of the texts in the verse that are sent are often not clarified as poetry, so it was necessary to point out to the authors what is poetic and what is not in their poems. Judging subjectively, the original metaphors and comparisons are something I admired the most, because they impress the most. The most common example I give to everyone is this: if it was written IT WAS COLD it has less poetic value than IT WAS ICE, where in the same sense, a metaphor is introduced. If someone writes IT WAS WHITE LIKE SNOW, which is expected, clichéd and outdated, it will certainly be less impressive than IT WAS WHITE LIKE A NEEDLE HOUSE.
   When it comes to rhyming poems, rhymes should not be surpassed and expected. Here, too, the use of new poetic words and their skillfully found rhymes was appreciated. Of course, no one should invent hot water, but every step out of everyday life was considered a success.
5. AESTHETIC VALUE OF THE TEXT. Applications submitted for the semifinals were to be complete. Any answer to the questions related to the biography and the general impression of the author about the contest was evaluated. Also, the poem itself was supposed to be completely computer-correct. It is extremely unnecessary to point out grammatical / spelling mistakes to someone in this round of the competition, because every such mistake is a sign of the author’s lack of dedication to the text and work with a mentor.
6. GENERAL IMPRESSION. The authors have sent poems in the previous three rounds, too. It is also, a significant factor that influenced the distribution of my points.

Opinions from other Jury members:

Their mentor, Anđela Turukalo said:

“This group was such a pleasant surprise, while being one of the hardest to grade- alongside Bulgaria. So, well done. It was nothing but the shades that made a difference between grades here, especially if we’re talking about the upper part of the chart.

Jana Orlova… It’s a lovely, powerful miniature. I love it. So short, yet intense enough to create a movie before my eyes. It does have depth and it’s meaningful. So, very well done.

Michela Zanarella… Again: short, powerful and meaningful. That’s what I like when it comes to poems: when they make the reader feel and remember that feeling. The ending is very good.

Gloria Sofia… This poem is good. I see the talent of this writer and I’m completely satisfied with it. Yet, the choice for the semi-final round wasn’t exactly perfect. This subject is a bit pale compared to others in the group. Motives are good, everything is good- but not impressionable enough.

Lucilla Trapazzo… Probably the best poem in one of the best groups of the semi-final. It’s socially engaged- which I absolutely love in poetry. Yet, the very scene is projected unto us with such a lovely poetic expression… Pictures, emotions, contrasting parts (to make it more lively), attitude- everything is here. And, perfectly executed. So, well done and good luck.

Eliza Segiet… A good miniature. Precise, punctual, with a clear meaning and a message. I truly like it. Yet, since it’s the semi-final round, I guess the choice could be better. This group called for something stronger, more memorable, something more intrusive…

Alexandra Mantsevoda… This poem has some interesting moments, interesting verses… Yet, it feels too ‘caged’. There’s too many rules here, especially with rhyming, which are suffocating the poem. For me, it’s way more important to feel the wild emotion, the restless energy in the poem. Rules are there to be broken- but in a good way and with a good taste. This way, the poem seems constrained and therefore weaker.

Yurij Lischuk… I appreciate the environmental activism in this poem. Poetry, as every other form of art, should be used to help the creator share his attitude and opinions, not just his inner feelings about people etc. There aren’t many writers who actually do this, so this made me happy. Also, I like it. I like the expression, I like the motives. I like everything about this one. I would maybe criticize the anger which is bursting throughout the poem (because I never appreciate if emotions prevail over the writer’s main goal), but even that anger is a critique of our society- therefore, it’s required here. Well done.

Ivanna Samchuk… Very emotional and very touching. I love the gentle touch of melancholy here. The ending is lovely. It’s a very good poem, indeed. Yet, as I said earlier, it’s the details that count here and this group had some very powerful poems- and this one simply didn’t stand out enough.

Emi Endqkova… Another very touching, emotional poem. I do believe that this poem would be better with some minor changes, but we didn’t have time to discuss that… It just needed a ‘boom’ part, nothing more. Anyway, I do like it- but it needs more work.

Juljana Mehmeti… Very well done. This poem really brings a special set of emotions and not so often seen motives. I don’t see anything that could be improved here, really. It’s a good poem. Not perfect, but very very good.

Tomas Waginger… Well written. It’s very descriptive and charming. I love it, but I do think the ending could be better: it probably needed something unexpected or something intriguing to make it whole. Anyway, I’m happy with it: it’s pleasant and comfortable… Like a night melody.”

You can read poems by European authors here:

Mili Dueli 2020/21: Poezija evropskih (nebalkanskih) autora (Polufinale)

MILI DUELI 

Made in Bosnia and Herzegovina
by Nermin Delić

Europe / Balkan Peninsula
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Central Bosnia Canton
Jajce Town 70202

Sva prava zadržana. // All rights reserved.

Objava MILI DUELI 2020/21: Semi-final results – DUEL 15 – Europe (Non-Balkan Countries) pojavila se prvi puta na Mili Dueli.

The contest is traditionally composed of 5 elimination rounds. In each round, the number of authors decreases, and in the last, Fifth round, the winner is decided by a voting system based on the Eurovision Song Contest scoring system. The main responsible person of the contest is Nermin Delić, the idea creator and organizer of the contest. For 8 years in a row, Mili Dueli have been gathering authors and spreading the influence of poetry in everyday life.

Nermin Delić

Briefly about the First Round: The selection of all received applications (739) was performed by Nermin Delić. The organizer selected 476 authors for presentation in the Second Round.

Briefly about the Second Round: After the selection in the First Round by the organizer of the contest, Nermin Delić, 476 authors were selected and presented in the Second Round. In the Second Round, the authors are classified in 12 duels, according to the countries they come from. Due to the number of participants, Bosnia and Herzegovina had 2 duels (DUEL 1, DUEL 2), and Serbia 3 (DUEL 3, DUEL 4, DUEL 5). Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bulgaria had one duel each (DUEL 6, DUEL 7, DUEL 8, DUEL 9). Due to the small number of participants, authors from Albania, Greece, Kosovo, Romania and Slovenia were presented in one duel (DUEL 10). Poets with Balkan roots, but with current residence outside the Balkans, are grouped together in one duel (DUEL 11). In the end, all authors coming from non-Balkan countries are grouped into one duel (DUEL 12).

The beginning of the presentation of the duel on the official Facebook profile of Mili Dueli was on July 12, 2020. Duels are presented in order, every 2-3 or 4 days according to the scope of the duel. For the first 15 days from the presentation of the duel, the followers of Mili Dueli were able to vote in the comments by entering the author’s number below the picture where her/his poem is presented. In addition to the readers, the members of the jury, composed of 12 renowned and important for Mili Duel artists from the Balkans, also voted. They selected 90% of the authors to pass to the Third Round. The other 10% is intended for the votes of the readers, for those who were not selected by the jury, and who have the great support of their friends and companions Mili Dueli.

Briefly about the Third Round: In the third round, the selection of the best authors continued and only the TOP 100 best authors had the opportunity to continue.

Briefly about the Fourth Round: The fourth round is brought by the TOP 50 best authors who pass to the final, fifth round. It is composed of a total of 16 duels.

You can see more about the Fourth Round (how it is voted, how it is organized) here:

Mili Dueli 2020: Organization Of The Fourth Round

FOURTH ROUND (SEMI-FINALS)

RESULTS

First of all, an important announcement … In the fourth round, we were looking for the 50 best authors according to the procedure established by the organization of the competition. Looking at the results, as the Organizer, I realized that in certain duels, the authors were much more dominant, and that surely many more authors deserved to pass, at least according to the presentation in the semifinals. For that purpose, I decided that the number of authors who go directly further should be 36, and that a total of 34 authors should fight for the remaining 14 places. All those authors who did not go directly further will equally send the poem for the finals, but only 14 of them will be presented, based on the quality of the submitted poem and the accompanying video material that traditionally adorns our Finals. More about everything, certainly below …

DUEL 14 –  ASIA AND AUSTRALIA

WHAT’S NEXT? (PREPARATION FOR THE FINALS)

DARK BLUE. Authors who entered the TOP 50 directly! These authors are officially the finalists of this season, therefore, participants in the last round of Mili DuelI 2020/21. From this moment on, they need to contact their mentors and start preparing the poem for the Finals. All details related to the preparation and sending of the poem for the Finals will be received in a private message in the inbox. Please be patient!

LIGHT BLUE. – Authors who has chance to participate in the finals, the last round of Mili Duels 2020/21. These are authors who did not go directly to the final round, but due to the fantastic performance in the semifinals, the Organizer decided to give a new opportunity to promote their poetry. There are a total of 34 of them in such a situation, and 14 of them will be participants in the Finals. The decision will be made by the Organizer based on their application for the Finals. From this point on, they can also contact their mentors and start preparing a poem for the Finals.

TOP 100 – Authors who remained in the TOP 100 and did not make it to the Mili Dueli 2020 Finals. Their contribution to the spread of the project and poetry will be rewarded by receiving electronic recognition for their participation as they represented their countries in a bright light (TOP 100 from 739 registered !!!), and will accordingly receive recognition for the intercultural dialogue of the Balkan countries and the countries of the world in which they participated.

All the presented poems will be represented in a electronic collection which, apparently, will have its own printed edition (summer, 2021), when MILI DUELI BALKAN TOUR awaits us. More on that soon!

Also, all authors who are 2000 or younger will be presented at the MILI DUEL JUNIOR ONLINE POETRY CONTEST which will start a few days after the end of the eighth season of Mili Duels 2020 – Online Balkan Poetry Contest!

JURY COMMENTS

Organizer: NERMIN DELIĆ

Dear friends,

First of all, thank you for showing the greatest sense of loyalty to the whole project this season. The Corona-year prolonged the contest itself, and at the same time some of my private achievements happened (I finished university and started working), so the time spent on the project was reduced to a certain extent. Either way, our play through poetry continued, and so in these wonderful summer days we had the opportunity to read the 100 most representative authors we had so carefully selected.

In this, the fourth and at the same time penultimate round, we had the opportunity to enjoy the poetry of all Balkan countries, but also many countries around the world. Somewhere it turned out to be good that there was longer voting time than in previous seasons. Looking at the number of views of all the semi-final poems, with 328,492 views on Facebook, my mission was already fulfilled. Looking at the countries that read us, I could not stop, if I started to list … Almost 330,000 times we entered the everyday life of people on social media with poetry… I noticed at the beginning that there were two camps among the authors; one who enthusiastically welcomed the publication of their poem and those who did not promote their poetry even to their friends. The former shared the same with their friends, because for the first time, somewhere in our region, people can vote for poetry; for the first time it was important to point out that you have passed the selection of 739 authors and you are one step closer to the end, exclusively with your poetry. Because this was not an invitation to like the conquest of handbags, irons, shelves, etc., this was an invitation to the world of poetry in which each of these 100 great authors lives!. But probably everyone had their reasons for being one and not the other, and from that point of view it certainly can’t be a complaint. I rewarded some of the poems, even though they had poor readability, because they are masterful in themselves!

Just led by a mass of people who wrote me every day who they were voting for, shared your poems so beautifully and decorated their Facebook walls, I didn’t want to conflict my opinion with the opinion of the masses. But points always say it all. So in this case. I started to comment and went in order, all in order to write as good and clear comments as possible, WHY such points. But then I finally realized that in most cases the same mistake, the same comment, was written only in different words.

Therefore, I decided to point out in general the following …

When submitting a poem, to any contest, anywhere, even where you are already sure that the poem will be published, awarded, or generally given some recognition, please take note of the following:

1. LITERACY. There were so many mistakes that turned me away from some nice emotions I felt while reading your poems. If you’re a writer, that doesn’t mean you have to be computer-wise and orthographically perfect, but if you’re sending a poem somewhere, to someone, let it be viewed with other eyes as well; maybe someone who knows maybe less than you will know something more about certain things. It is this item that is crucial in depriving the spirit of amateurism that a writer can carry within himself. Four-dot in poems, spaces several times, unnecessary punctuation marks in the wrong places; all of which violates the RHYTHM and AESTHETIC VALUES and, ultimately, the GENERAL IMPRESSION of the poem. If you make me take a break in the wrong place with a comma, that thread that runs the poem will break, and I will remain confused. I have to admit that these mistakes were greatly reduced, as a team of mentors worked with the authors, but there were authors who submitted their poems without a mentor and where such mistakes were noticed.
2. WORK WITH A MENTOR. This item may be crucial, as it involves collaboration on the selection and / or correction of a semi-final poem. It’s not just a conversation about a poem, it’s a conversation of two cultures, often two peoples, and you were representatives of your own. The basis of any peace is acquaintance, cooperation and compromise.
   We did not take it as evil if an author, in the words of his mentor, still insisted on being “according to him”, but it is a completely wrong form not to respect the form of the contest that requires cooperation, therefore, not to contact his mentor at all, not to greet him.
   My impression is certainly complemented by the opinion of my colleagues, members of the jury, and your mentors, and in this regard we are looking for a person who will be a part of us in the next season of the contest.
3. OPINION OF READERS / YOUR FRIENDS. We should never primarily be guided by the number of likes and reviews that one author has achieved on the social network, because then the competition part would mean a struggle for numbers, and not for the quality of the poem. However, I am of the opinion that on this occasion as well, through the number of votes cast, you showed two things; first – how much you actually care about going through; the second – how much support you can actually collect for your poetry. I note that for the first time it is a vote for poetry, where free votes decide who will be the winner. In this regard, I rewarded all the authors who heartily presented their poem.
4. POETIC VALUE OF THE TEXT. Many of the texts in the verse that are sent are often not clarified as poetry, so it was necessary to point out to the authors what is poetic and what is not in their poems. Judging subjectively, the original metaphors and comparisons are something I admired the most, because they impress the most. The most common example I give to everyone is this: if it was written IT WAS COLD it has less poetic value than IT WAS ICE, where in the same sense, a metaphor is introduced. If someone writes IT WAS WHITE LIKE SNOW, which is expected, clichéd and outdated, it will certainly be less impressive than IT WAS WHITE LIKE A NEEDLE HOUSE.
   When it comes to rhyming poems, rhymes should not be surpassed and expected. Here, too, the use of new poetic words and their skillfully found rhymes was appreciated. Of course, no one should invent hot water, but every step out of everyday life was considered a success.
5. AESTHETIC VALUE OF THE TEXT. Applications submitted for the semifinals were to be complete. Any answer to the questions related to the biography and the general impression of the author about the contest was evaluated. Also, the poem itself was supposed to be completely computer-correct. It is extremely unnecessary to point out grammatical / spelling mistakes to someone in this round of the competition, because every such mistake is a sign of the author’s lack of dedication to the text and work with a mentor.
6. GENERAL IMPRESSION. The authors have sent poems in the previous three rounds, too. It is also, a significant factor that influenced the distribution of my points.

Opinions from other Jury members:

Their mentor, Anđela Turukalo said:

“Elif Sezen, Reema Bakose and Ahmet Işler were so close with the quality of their poems. I loved all three of those. Yet, since this is a semi-final round, therefore we have many good writers- small things make a difference.

Elif Sezen wrote a strong poem, a dramatic one, with a profound meaning. I can’t find the slightest flaw here. Every word is there for a reason, and it’s so meaningful and deep. I enjoyed it, really. It brings the emotion perfectly and it’s form , rhythm, melody- completely suit my preferences. Very well done.

Reema Bakose wrote a beautiful poem. Again we have a strong message with vivid energy and clear emotions and attitude. Yet, while reading, it somewhat felt intrusive at times. The poem lacks a natural flow. It’s very precisely done- but somehow it lacks a touch of disorderliness- just to feel it’s existence out of norms.

Ahmet Işler… This poem was like paintings before my eyes. It’s alive, it has an amazing emotion and it’s one very memorable poem. It stays engraved into the mind of a reader. It’s not perfectly done when it comes to rhythm- but those imperfections don’t make a difference here, since the bedrock and the roof of this poem is- pure emotion.

Alparslan Oghuz… This poem was quite pleasant for reading. I liked it. Yet, it’s not so intrusive in this group. It lacks some stronger moments, something more memorable.

Joan Lim… I do feel that this poem could benefit from the use of punctuation at some moments. Also, I find it a bit paler than the one from the last round. Sure, it’s still very good. I appreciate it’s vividness and the memorable motives. Emotion is clear and strong. I like the expression this writer owns. Also, the talent is undeniable.

Gili Haimovich… This is a sweet poem. I like it. Yet, it lacks some drama, some vivid energy- for this group. It has a deep meaning, but motives could be more impressionable.

Russel Edles… I appreciate the creativity with dialogue in this poem, but I think it wasn’t perfectly executed. I find it too ‘decorated’. It’s like watching a painting with so many colors that it feels chaotic. The poem is gentle, but it’s not as fluid as it should be. Also, the energy feels somewhat flat throughout the entire poem. It lacks contrast- which could strengthen the effect of the poem.

Muhammad Azram… I like the motives here. Also, the writer has a creative perception of the subject itself- and that makes the poem even better. It just doesn’t have a ‘spark’ which some of the poems in this group have. I think it lacks that dramatic ending or some stronger and impressionable moment to make it glow.”

You can read poems by Asian and Australian authors here:

Mili Dueli 2020/21: Poezija azijskih i australskih autora (Polufinale)

MILI DUELI 

Made in Bosnia and Herzegovina
by Nermin Delić

Europe / Balkan Peninsula
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Central Bosnia Canton
Jajce Town 70202

Sva prava zadržana. // All rights reserved.

Objava MILI DUELI 2020/21: Semi-final results – DUEL 14 – Asia and Australia pojavila se prvi puta na Mili Dueli.

More about organization of the Semi-Final round (4th Round):

Mili Dueli 2020: Organization Of The Fourth Round

Objava Mili Dueli 2020/21: Poezija američkih autora (Polufinale) pojavila se prvi puta na Mili Dueli.

More about organization of the Semi-Final round (4th Round):

Mili Dueli 2020: Organization Of The Fourth Round

Objava Mili Dueli 2020/21: Poezija evropskih (nebalkanskih) autora (Polufinale) pojavila se prvi puta na Mili Dueli.

More about organization of the Semi-Final round (4th Round):

Mili Dueli 2020: Organization Of The Fourth Round

Objava Mili Dueli 2020/21: Poezija azijskih i australskih autora (Polufinale) pojavila se prvi puta na Mili Dueli.

More about organization of the Semi-Final round (4th Round):

Mili Dueli 2020: Organization Of The Fourth Round

Objava Mili Dueli 2020/21: Poezija afričkih autora (Polufinale) pojavila se prvi puta na Mili Dueli.

The contest is traditionally composed of 5 elimination rounds. In each round, the number of authors decreases, and in the last, Fifth round, the winner is decided by a voting system based on the Eurovision Song Contest scoring system. The main responsible person of the contest is Nermin Delić, the idea creator and organizer of the contest. For 8 years in a row, Mili Dueli have been gathering authors and spreading the influence of poetry in everyday life.

Nermin Delić

Briefly about the First Round: The selection of all received applications (739) was performed by Nermin Delić. The organizer selected 476 authors for presentation in the Second Round.

Briefly about the Second Round: After the selection in the First Round by the organizer of the contest, Nermin Delić, 476 authors were selected and presented in the Second Round. In the Second Round, the authors are classified in 12 duels, according to the countries they come from. Due to the number of participants, Bosnia and Herzegovina had 2 duels (DUEL 1, DUEL 2), and Serbia 3 (DUEL 3, DUEL 4, DUEL 5). Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bulgaria had one duel each (DUEL 6, DUEL 7, DUEL 8, DUEL 9). Due to the small number of participants, authors from Albania, Greece, Kosovo, Romania and Slovenia were presented in one duel (DUEL 10). Poets with Balkan roots, but with current residence outside the Balkans, are grouped together in one duel (DUEL 11). In the end, all authors coming from non-Balkan countries are grouped into one duel (DUEL 12).

The beginning of the presentation of the duel on the official Facebook profile of Mili Dueli was on July 12, 2020. Duels are presented in order, every 2-3 or 4 days according to the scope of the duel. For the first 15 days from the presentation of the duel, the followers of Mili Dueli were able to vote in the comments by entering the author’s number below the picture where her/his poem is presented. In addition to the readers, the members of the jury, composed of 12 renowned and important for Mili Duel artists from the Balkans, also voted. They selected 90% of the authors to pass to the Third Round. The other 10% is intended for the votes of the readers, for those who were not selected by the jury, and who have the great support of their friends and companions Mili Dueli.

Briefly about the Third Round: In the third round, the selection of the best authors continued and only the TOP 100 best authors had the opportunity to continue.

Briefly about the Fourth Round: The fourth round is brought by the TOP 50 best authors who pass to the final, fifth round. It is composed of a total of 16 duels.

You can see more about the Fourth Round (how it is voted, how it is organized) here:

Mili Dueli 2020: Organization Of The Fourth Round

FOURTH ROUND (SEMI-FINALS)

RESULTS

First of all, an important announcement … In the fourth round, we were looking for the 50 best authors according to the procedure established by the organization of the competition. Looking at the results, as the Organizer, I realized that in certain duels, the authors were much more dominant, and that surely many more authors deserved to pass, at least according to the presentation in the semifinals. For that purpose, I decided that the number of authors who go directly further should be 36, and that a total of 34 authors should fight for the remaining 14 places. All those authors who did not go directly further will equally send the poem for the finals, but only 14 of them will be presented, based on the quality of the submitted poem and the accompanying video material that traditionally adorns our Finals. More about everything, certainly below …

DUEL 13 –  AFRICA

WHAT’S NEXT? (PREPARATION FOR THE FINALS)

DARK BLUE. Authors who entered the TOP 50 directly! These authors are officially the finalists of this season, therefore, participants in the last round of Mili DuelI 2020/21. From this moment on, they need to contact their mentors and start preparing the poem for the Finals. All details related to the preparation and sending of the poem for the Finals will be received in a private message in the inbox. Please be patient!

LIGHT BLUE. – Authors who has chance to participate in the finals, the last round of Mili Duels 2020/21. These are authors who did not go directly to the final round, but due to the fantastic performance in the semifinals, the Organizer decided to give a new opportunity to promote their poetry. There are a total of 34 of them in such a situation, and 14 of them will be participants in the Finals. The decision will be made by the Organizer based on their application for the Finals. From this point on, they can also contact their mentors and start preparing a poem for the Finals.

TOP 100 – Authors who remained in the TOP 100 and did not make it to the Mili Dueli 2020 Finals. Their contribution to the spread of the project and poetry will be rewarded by receiving electronic recognition for their participation as they represented their countries in a bright light (TOP 100 from 739 registered !!!), and will accordingly receive recognition for the intercultural dialogue of the Balkan countries and the countries of the world in which they participated.

All the presented poems will be represented in a electronic collection which, apparently, will have its own printed edition (summer, 2021), when MILI DUELI BALKAN TOUR awaits us. More on that soon!

Also, all authors who are 2000 or younger will be presented at the MILI DUEL JUNIOR ONLINE POETRY CONTEST which will start a few days after the end of the eighth season of Mili Duels 2020 – Online Balkan Poetry Contest!

JURY COMMENTS

Organizer: NERMIN DELIĆ

Dear friends,

First of all, thank you for showing the greatest sense of loyalty to the whole project this season. The Corona-year prolonged the contest itself, and at the same time some of my private achievements happened (I finished university and started working), so the time spent on the project was reduced to a certain extent. Either way, our play through poetry continued, and so in these wonderful summer days we had the opportunity to read the 100 most representative authors we had so carefully selected.

In this, the fourth and at the same time penultimate round, we had the opportunity to enjoy the poetry of all Balkan countries, but also many countries around the world. Somewhere it turned out to be good that there was longer voting time than in previous seasons. Looking at the number of views of all the semi-final poems, with 328,492 views on Facebook, my mission was already fulfilled. Looking at the countries that read us, I could not stop, if I started to list … Almost 330,000 times we entered the everyday life of people on social media with poetry… I noticed at the beginning that there were two camps among the authors; one who enthusiastically welcomed the publication of their poem and those who did not promote their poetry even to their friends. The former shared the same with their friends, because for the first time, somewhere in our region, people can vote for poetry; for the first time it was important to point out that you have passed the selection of 739 authors and you are one step closer to the end, exclusively with your poetry. Because this was not an invitation to like the conquest of handbags, irons, shelves, etc., this was an invitation to the world of poetry in which each of these 100 great authors lives!. But probably everyone had their reasons for being one and not the other, and from that point of view it certainly can’t be a complaint. I rewarded some of the poems, even though they had poor readability, because they are masterful in themselves!

Just led by a mass of people who wrote me every day who they were voting for, shared your poems so beautifully and decorated their Facebook walls, I didn’t want to conflict my opinion with the opinion of the masses. But points always say it all. So in this case. I started to comment and went in order, all in order to write as good and clear comments as possible, WHY such points. But then I finally realized that in most cases the same mistake, the same comment, was written only in different words.

Therefore, I decided to point out in general the following …

When submitting a poem, to any contest, anywhere, even where you are already sure that the poem will be published, awarded, or generally given some recognition, please take note of the following:

1. LITERACY. There were so many mistakes that turned me away from some nice emotions I felt while reading your poems. If you’re a writer, that doesn’t mean you have to be computer-wise and orthographically perfect, but if you’re sending a poem somewhere, to someone, let it be viewed with other eyes as well; maybe someone who knows maybe less than you will know something more about certain things. It is this item that is crucial in depriving the spirit of amateurism that a writer can carry within himself. Four-dot in poems, spaces several times, unnecessary punctuation marks in the wrong places; all of which violates the RHYTHM and AESTHETIC VALUES and, ultimately, the GENERAL IMPRESSION of the poem. If you make me take a break in the wrong place with a comma, that thread that runs the poem will break, and I will remain confused. I have to admit that these mistakes were greatly reduced, as a team of mentors worked with the authors, but there were authors who submitted their poems without a mentor and where such mistakes were noticed.
2. WORK WITH A MENTOR. This item may be crucial, as it involves collaboration on the selection and / or correction of a semi-final poem. It’s not just a conversation about a poem, it’s a conversation of two cultures, often two peoples, and you were representatives of your own. The basis of any peace is acquaintance, cooperation and compromise.
   We did not take it as evil if an author, in the words of his mentor, still insisted on being “according to him”, but it is a completely wrong form not to respect the form of the contest that requires cooperation, therefore, not to contact his mentor at all, not to greet him.
   My impression is certainly complemented by the opinion of my colleagues, members of the jury, and your mentors, and in this regard we are looking for a person who will be a part of us in the next season of the contest.
3. OPINION OF READERS / YOUR FRIENDS. We should never primarily be guided by the number of likes and reviews that one author has achieved on the social network, because then the competition part would mean a struggle for numbers, and not for the quality of the poem. However, I am of the opinion that on this occasion as well, through the number of votes cast, you showed two things; first – how much you actually care about going through; the second – how much support you can actually collect for your poetry. I note that for the first time it is a vote for poetry, where free votes decide who will be the winner. In this regard, I rewarded all the authors who heartily presented their poem.
4. POETIC VALUE OF THE TEXT. Many of the texts in the verse that are sent are often not clarified as poetry, so it was necessary to point out to the authors what is poetic and what is not in their poems. Judging subjectively, the original metaphors and comparisons are something I admired the most, because they impress the most. The most common example I give to everyone is this: if it was written IT WAS COLD it has less poetic value than IT WAS ICE, where in the same sense, a metaphor is introduced. If someone writes IT WAS WHITE LIKE SNOW, which is expected, clichéd and outdated, it will certainly be less impressive than IT WAS WHITE LIKE A NEEDLE HOUSE.
   When it comes to rhyming poems, rhymes should not be surpassed and expected. Here, too, the use of new poetic words and their skillfully found rhymes was appreciated. Of course, no one should invent hot water, but every step out of everyday life was considered a success.
5. AESTHETIC VALUE OF THE TEXT. Applications submitted for the semifinals were to be complete. Any answer to the questions related to the biography and the general impression of the author about the contest was evaluated. Also, the poem itself was supposed to be completely computer-correct. It is extremely unnecessary to point out grammatical / spelling mistakes to someone in this round of the competition, because every such mistake is a sign of the author’s lack of dedication to the text and work with a mentor.
6. GENERAL IMPRESSION. The authors have sent poems in the previous three rounds, too. It is also, a significant factor that influenced the distribution of my points.

Opinions from other Jury members:

Their mentor, Anđela Turukalo said:

“Haeven Kidane… The form of the poem is not present at all. Poem this long deserves a bit of space and a break, just to catch breath. Since it’s the poem which speaks from two different angles, I do believe that at least those two could be ‘separated’ in a way- so it’s completely clear. There’s no distinct border between two parts of the poem. There are some strong and vivid moments- and that deserves a praise. Idea of the poem is good, the subject is interesting. Yet, untidiness and disorderliness completely prevailed everything else.

Kenneth Cheruiyot… This poetic miniature is lovely. It’s short, precise, strong enough; it has an emotion which transfers to the reader easily. Motifs in the poem are striking. I love it.

Raphael Tersuwe Akaayar… This poem is very emotional. The very start is quite striking and memorable. Then goes the explanation part, which is quite descriptive. It’s also very necessary here. The ending: gives me chills. I’m quite happy with this one.

Okorie Chukwukamma… This poem really screams it’s own title. I like the energy of it, it’s strong and fast and playful. Yet, the subject itself is weaker than some of the poems in this group. The message is weaker. The poem is well done and I like it, but it’s not among the best ones here.

Johan Chanda… The problem of this poem is the shape of it, it lacks the rhythm and the melody, it’s somewhat cluttered. Yet, the thought process here is what’s interesting. Some parts of it are simply pale ( like: “If I die young know the stress was my companion, depression was my umbrella and anxiety my shadow”- this could be written in far more interesting way). But, the other motives and the other ideas here are far more poetic and likeable. So, I believe this writer has a lot of work to do: but it’s all just “physical” matter. The emotion is there, the uniqueness is there.”

Lena Kyropoulos from Greece said: “Μr Kidane really touched deeply my heart by his emotional words… During the reading  time, I thought a hot knife invade my skin and my memories from my childhood… Gave me also a big lesson. I really feel blessed that I have read this poem… and no matter the result of the contest will be I would like to know him personally and to take an interview!!!.”

You can read poems by African authors here:

Mili Dueli 2020/21: Poezija afričkih autora (Polufinale)

MILI DUELI 

Made in Bosnia and Herzegovina
by Nermin Delić

Europe / Balkan Peninsula
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Central Bosnia Canton
Jajce Town 70202

Sva prava zadržana. // All rights reserved.

Objava MILI DUELI 2020/21: Semi-final results – DUEL 13 – Africa pojavila se prvi puta na Mili Dueli.

More about organization of the Semi-Final round (4th Round):

Mili Dueli 2020: Organization Of The Fourth Round

Objava Mili Dueli 2020/21: Poezija autora balkanske dijaspore (Polufinale) pojavila se prvi puta na Mili Dueli.

Kontest je tradicionalno sastavljen od 5 eliminatornih krugova.U svakom krugu se broj autora smanjuje, a u posljednjem, Petom krugu, odlučuje se i pobjednik sistemom glasanja baziranom na bodovnom sistemu Eurovision Song Contest. Glavno odgovorno lice kontesta je Nermin Delić, idejni tvorac i organizator kontesta. Mili Dueli već 8 godina zaredom okupljaju autore i šire utjecaj poezije u svakodnevnici.

Ukratko o Prvom krugu: Selekciju svih pristigli prijava (739) je vršio Nermin Delić. Organizator je odabrao 476 autora za predstavljanje u Drugom krugu.

Ukratko o Drugom krugu:  Nakon selekcije u Prvom krugu od strane organizatora kontesta, Nermina Delića, odabrano je 476 autora koji su predstavljeni u Drugom krugu. U Drugom krugu, autori su svrstani u 12 duela, prema državama iz kojih dolaze. Zbog brojnosti učesnika, Bosna i Hercegovina je imala 2 duela (DUEL 1, DUEL 2), a Srbija 3 (DUEL 3, DUEL 4, DUEL 5). Hrvatska, Crna Gora, Sjeverna Makedonija i Bugarska su imale zasebno po jedan duel (DUEL 6, DUEL 7, DUEL 8, DUEL 9). Zbog malobrojnosti učesnika, u jednom duelu su predstavljeni autori iz Albanije, Grčke, Kosova, Rumunije i Slovenije (DUEL 10). Pjesnici sa balkanskim korijenima, ali sa trenutnim prebivalištem van Balkana, svrstani su zajedno u jedan duel (DUEL 11). Na kraju, svi autori koji dolaze iz vanbalkanskih zemalja, svrstani su u jedan duel (DUEL 12).

Početak predstavljanja duela na zvaničnom Facebook profilu Milih Duela je bio 12. juli, 2020. godine. Dueli su predstavljani redoslijedom, na svaka 2-3 ili 4 dana shodno obimu duela. Prvih 15 dana od predstavljanja duela, pratioci Milih Duela su mogli glasati u komentarima upisivanjem rednog broja autora ispod slike gdje u opisu predstavljena njegova pjesma. Pored čitalaca, glasali su i članovi žirija, sastavljeni od 12 renomiranih i za Mile Duele važnih umjetnika Balkana. Oni su vršili odabir 90% autora koji će proći u Treći krug. Ostalih 10% je predviđeno za glasove čitalaca, za one koje žiri nije odabrao, a imaju veliku podršku svojih prijatelja i pratilaca Mili Dueli.

Ukratko o Trećem krugu: U trećem krugu je nastavljenja selekcija najboljih autora a samo TOP 100 najboljih autora su imali priliku nastaviti dalje.

Ukratko o Četvrtom krugu: Četvrti krug je donosi TOP 50 najboljih autora koji prolaze u finalni, peti krug. Sastavljen je iz ukupno 16 duela.

Više o Četvrtom krugu (kako se glasa, kako je organizovan) možete pogledati ovdje:

Mili Dueli 2020: Organizacija Četvrtog kruga

ČETVRTI KRUG

REZULTATI

Ponajprije, važno obavještenje… U četvrtom krugu smo tražili 50 najboljih autora po proceduri utvrđenoj organizacijom takmičenja. Gledajući rezultate, kao Organizator sam uvidio sam da su u određenim duelima autori bili znatno domnantniji, te da je sigurno mnogo više autora od predviđenog zaslužilo prolaz, bar prema predstavljanju u polufinalu. U tu svrhu sam odlučio da broj autora koji direktno prolaze dalje bude 36, a da se za preostalih 14 mjesta bori ukupno 34 autora. Svi ti autori koji nisu direktno prošli dalje će ravnopravno slati pjesmu za finale, ali će samo 14 njih biti predstavljeno, na osnovu kvalitete poslane pjesme i pratećeg video-materijala koji već tradicionalno krasi naše Finale. Više o svemu, svakako u nastavku…

DUEL 12 – BALKANSKA DIJASPORA

ŠTA SADA?

TAMNO PLAVA BOJA. Autori koji su direktno ušli u TOP 50! Ti autori su zvanično finalisti ove sezone, dakle, učesnici posljednjeg kruga Mili Dueli 2020/21.  Već od ovog trenutka trebaju kontaktirati svoje mentore i početi pripremati pjesmu za Finale. Sve detalje vezane za pripremu i slanje pjesme za Polufinale (4. KRUG), dobit će u privatnoj poruci u inboks. Molimo strpljenje!

SVIJETLOPLAVA BOJA. – Autori koji su ušli u BARAŽ za učešće u finalu, posljednjem krugu Mili Dueli 2020/21. Riječ je o autorima koji nisu direktno prošli u finalni krug, ali zbog fantastičnog predstavljanja u polufinalu, Organizator je odlučio dati novu priliku za promovisanje njihove poezije. U četvrtom krugu ih u takvoj situaciji ima ukupno 34, a 14 od njih 34 će biti učesnici Finala. Odluku o tome će donijeti Organizator na osnovu njihove aplikacije za Finale. Već od ovog trenutka, oni mogu također kontaktirati svoje mentore i početi spremati pjesmu za Finale.

TOP 100 – Autori koji su ostali u TOP 100 nisu prošli u Finale Mili Dueli 2020/21.  Njihov doprinos širenju projekta i poezije će biti nagrađen time što će dobiti  elektronsko priznanje za  sudjelovanje budući da su svojim učešćem predstavljali svoje zemlje u sjajnom svjetlu (TOP 100 od 739 prijavljenih!!!), te će shodno tome dobiti priznanje za interkulturalni dijalog balkanskih zemalja i zemalja svijeta u kojem su učestovali.

Sve predstavljene pjesme će biti zastupljene u zajedničkom elektronskom zborniku koji će, po svemu sudeći, imati i svoje štampano izdanje, kada nas očekuje MILI DUELI BALKAN TOUR. Više o tome uskoro!

Također, svi autori koji su 2000. godište ili mlađi, će biti predstavljeni na MILI DUELI JUNIOR ONLINE POETRY CONTEST koji će startati par dana nakon završteka osme sezone Mili Dueli 2020 – Online Balkan Poetry Contest!

KOMENTAR ŽIRIJA

Organizator: NERMIN DELIĆ

Dragi prijatelji,

Prije svega hvala vam što ste u ovoj sezoni pokazali najveći vid odanosti cijelom projektu. Korona-godina je prolongirala i sam kontest, a uporedo s tim su se desila i neka moja privatna ostvarenja (završio sam fakultet i počeo da radim), pa se vrijeme utrošeno na projekt u određenoj mjeri smanjilo. Bilo kako bilo, naša se igra kroz poeziju nastavila, te smo tako u ovim divnim ljetnim danima imali priliku da čitamo 100 najreprezentativnijih autora koje smo tako pažljivo birali.

U ovom, četvrtom i ujedno pretposljednjem krugu, imali smo priliku da uživamo u poeziji svih zemalja Balkana, ali i mnogih zemalja svijeta. Negdje se pokazalo dobrim to što je bilo duže vremena za glasanje nego u ranijim sezonama. Gledajući broj pregleda svih pjesama polufinala, sa 328 492 pregleda na Facebooku, moja misija je već bila ispunjena. Gledajući zemlje koje su nas čitale, ne bih se mogao zaustaviti, ako bih krenuo nabrajati… Gotovo 330 000 puta smo poezijom ušli u svakodnevnicu ljudi na društvenoj mreži… Već u startu sam primjetio da su postojala dva tabora među autorima, oni koji su sa oduševljem dočekali objavu svoje pjesme i oni koju svoju poeziju nisu promovisali čak ni svojim prijateljima. Ovi prvi su istu dijelili sa svojim prijateljima, jer po prvi put, negdje na našim prostorima se i može glasati za poeziju; po prvi put je važno bilo istaći da si prošao selekciju 739 autora i na korak si do samog kraja, isključivo i samo svojom poezijom. Jer ovo nije bio poziv da se lajka osvajanje tašne, pegle, regala i slično, ovo je bio poziv u svijet poezije u kojem svako od ovih 100 sjajnih autora živi!. No, vjerovatno je svako imao svoje razloge zašto je bio jedno, a ne drugo, te s te strane to svakako ne može biti zamjerka. Neke pjesme sam nagradio, bez obzira što su imale slabu čitanost, jer su same po sebi maestralne!

Upravo vođen masom ljudi koji su svakodnevno pisali za koga glasaju, tako lijepo dijelili vaše pjesme i ukrašavali svoje zidove, nisam poželio da sukobljavam svoje mišljenje sa mišljenjem mase. No, bodovi uvijek sve govore. Tako i ovom slučaju. Krenuo sam da komentarišem i išao redom, sve u cilju da napišem što kvalitetnije i jasnije komentare, ZAŠTO ovakvi bodovi. No, onda sam, na samom kraju shvatio da je u većini slučajeva ista greška, isti komentar, pisan samo drugačijm riječima.

Stoga, odlučio sam da ukažem generalno na sljedeće…

Prilikom slanja pjesama, na bilo koji konkurs, bilo gdje, makar i tamo gdje ste već sigurni da će pjesma biti objavljena, nagrađena ili generalno da će joj biti dodijeljeno neko priznanje, molim vas, vodite računa o sljedećim stvarima:

1. PISMENOST. Toliko je bilo grešaka koje su me već u startu odbile od nekih lijepih emocija koje sam osjećao čitajući vaše pjesme. Ako ste pisac, to ne znači da morate biti informatički i pravopisno savršeni, ali ako pjesmu šaljete negdje, nekome, dozvolite da se ona pregleda i drugim očima; možda će taj neko koji zna možda i manje od vas, znati nešto više po pitanju određenih stvari. Upravo ova stavka je ključna u lišavanju duha amaterizma koji jedan pisac može nositi u sebi. Pjesme sa četiri tačke, razmaci po nekoliko puta, nepotrebni interpunkcijski znaci na pogrešnim mjestima; sve to narušava RITAM i ESTETSKU VRIJEDNOSTI i, u konačnici, GENERALNI UTISAK o pjesmi. Ako me zarezom natjerate da predahnem na pogrešnom mjestu, ta nit kojom se vodi pjesma će pući, a ja ću ostati zbunjen. Moram priznati da su ove greške znatno umanjene, budući da je tim mentora radio sa autorima, ali je bilo autora koji su slali svoje pjesme bez mentora i gdje su ovakve greške uočene.
2. RAD SA MENTOROM. Ova stavka je možda i ključna, budući da ona podrazumijeva saradnju na odabiru i/ili korekciji polufinalne pjesme. To nije samo razgovor o pjesmi, to je razgovor dvije kulture, često i dva naroda, a vi ste bili predstavnici svog. Osnova svakog mira je upoznavanje, saradnja i kompromis.
   Nismo uzimali za zlo ukoliko bi neki autor na riječi svog mentora, ipak insistirao da bude “po njegovom”, ali je potpuno pogrešna forma ne ispoštovati formu kontesta koja iziskuje saradnju, dakle, ne javiti se uopšte svom mentoru, ne pozdraviti ga.
   Moj utisak je svakako upotpunjen mišljenjem mojih kolega, članova žirija, a vaših mentora, i s tim u vezi mi i tražimo osobu koja će već u sljedećoj sezoni kontesta biti dio nas.
3. MIŠLJENJE ČITALACA / VAŠIH PRIJATELJA. Nikada se primarno ne bismo trebali voditi brojem lajkova i pregleda koji je jedan autor ostvario na društvenoj mreži, jer tad bi takmičarski dio označavao borbu za brojkama, a ne za kvalitetom pjesme. Ipak, mišljenja sam da ste i ovom prilikom, kroz broj ostvarenih glasova, pokazali dvije stvari; prva – koliko vam je zapravo stalo do toga da prođete; druga – koliko zapravo i možete skupiti podrške za svoju poeziju. Napominjem da se po prvi put radi o glasanju za poeziju, gdje besplatni glasovi odlučuju ko će biti pobjednik. S tim u vezi, nagradio sam sve autore koji su srčano predstavljali svoju pjesmu.
4. POETSKA VRIJEDNOST TEKSTA. Mnogi tekstovi u stihu koji se pošalju, često ne budu klarifikovani kao poezija, stoga je bilo nužno ukazati autorima šta je to poetično, a šta ne u njihovim pjesmama. Subjektivno procjenjujući, originalne metafore i poređenja su nešto čemu sam se najviše divio, jer ponajviše impresioniraju. Najobičniji primjer koji svima navodim jeste ovo: ukoliko se napiše BILA JE HLADNA to ima puno manju poetsku vrijednost od BILA JE LED, gdje u istom značenju, unesena metafora. Ukoliko neko napiše BILA JE BIJELA KAO SNIJEG, što je očekivano, isklišealizirano i prevaziđeno, to će svakako puno manje impresionirati nego BILA JE BIJELA KAO IGLO KUĆICA.
   Po pitanju rimovanih pjesama, rime ne bi trebale biti prevaziđene i očekivane: pr. tijelo – odijelo – bijelo. I tu se cijenila upotreba novih poetičnih riječi i njihovih vješto pronađenih rima. Naravno, niko ne treba izmišljati toplu vodu, ali se svaki iskorak iz svakidašnjeg smatrao uspjehom.
5. ESTETSKA VRIJEDNOST TEKSTA. Aplikacije koje su se slale za polufinale su trebale biti potpune. Svaki odgovor na pitanja koja su bila vezana za biografiju i opšti utisak autora o kontestu se vrednovao. Također, sama pjesma je trebala biti potpuno informatički ispravna. Ukazivati nekome na gramatičke/pravopisne greške u ovom krugu takmičenja je krajnje nepotrebno, jer se svaka takva greška odličje autorske neposvećenosti tekstu i radu sa mentorom.
6. OPĆI UTISAK. Autori su u prethodna tri kruga slali pjesme, također. To je također, značajan faktor koji je utjecao na raspodjelu mojih bodova.

Mišljenja ostatka žirija

Danja je istakla: “U ovoj grupi izdvojila bih autora Muamer Mušo Avdić, zreo i sjajan autor koji je i ovaj put pokazao ljepotu stihova, ljepotu pisane riječi, poezije. I Nada Pranjković Kovač je napisala interesantnu pjesmu u kojoj ima nešto. Svi ovi ostali autori su pokazali jako malo, obzirom da su stigli do finala i niti jedna od tih pjesama mi nije pružila ništa posebno, niti me dodirnula, niti pokazala neke originalnosti u motivu, ideji, izvedbi…propozicije su takve da moram dati ocjene, ali eto Muamer je briljirao, Nada je solidna, a ovi ostali autori zaslužuju istu ocjenu, minimalnu.”

Lela, njihova mentorica, napisaa je komentar za svaku pjesmu ponaosob, pa njene komentare prenosimo u cjelosti:

“NADA PRANJKOVIĆ – KOVAČ – Nada je divno iznenađenje ove godine. Jako volim čitati njene pjesme jer se da priijetiti da im je poklonjena i pažnja i vrijeme. Trud se uvijek isplati.

MLADEN ĆOSIĆ – Drag autor i vrlo rado ga čitam. Vlada božanstvenom emocijom što posebno cijenim. Pjesma Polufinala bi trebala doradu i sređivanje i samo zbog toga su bodovi slabiji. Rad, rad, rad … i čitanje. Preporučujem.

MUAMER MUŠO AVDIČ – Ovo je autor koji zaslužuje Finale bez posebnih komentara. Kad neko piše ovako kako on piše, onda ne preostaje nego da čekamo šta će nam ponuditi u sljedećem krugu.
Pjesma koja odiše izvanrednim ritmom, smislenošću, emocijom svojstvenom muškom rodu. Zrelo pisanje, rekla bih. Istesan zanat na najbolji način i svaka riječ na pravom mjestu. Duhovno zreo autor i ne može da piše drugačije. Srećno!

ADISA OVČINA – Bez obzira što sam ovoj autorici bila mentor, osjećam da moram biti i iskrena i objektivna. Ovo je najslabija pjesma u ovom Duelu i ja nisam mogla drugačije rasporediti bodove nego po kvaliteti pjesama. Možda se ovdje radilo o pogešno odabranoj pjesmi, možda autorica doista posjeduje izvanredan talenat za pisanje, no ipak preporučujem još mnogo, mnogo rada da bi se učestvovalo u ovakvom takmičenju kakvi su Mili Dueli.
Napisah kod nekog autora da se trud isplati, a u ovoj ponuđenoj pjesmi je bilo potrebno malo više truda. Žao mi je.

HUSEIN BULJUBAŠIĆ – Pjesme o Bosni su me uvijek privlačile i dirale u pola srca. Možda je to tako iz razloga jer sam daleko od BiH, pa svaka napisana riječ o BiH osvoji moje srce na prvu. Husein je autor na kojeg treba obratiti pažnju. Prirodan talenat za pisanje jer piše srcem, a ljubav mu je vodilja što u pjesmama najviše cijenim. Bravo Huseine i samo naprijed.

MAJA IVKOVIĆ – Odlična pjesma. Probudila je svaki damar u meni, a srce mi je na kraju lupalo kao ludo nakon čitanja. Inače, volim da čitam ovu autoricu jer neprikosnoveno posjeduje poetsku dušu. Ono najvažnije ima … ljubav u sebi i želju da svakom pjesmom bude još bolja. To se primjećuje i tokom trajanja Duela od početka. Nadam se da će se njena nadanja ostvariti. Želim joj puno sreće i još mnogo ovako lijepih pjesama koja traju dugo u srcima onih koji ih čitaju. Bravo!

OGNJENKA KALAJDŽIĆ – Ovo je pjesma koja je pisana dušom. Tako je, kako je i nema dalje. U pjesmi mnogo toga nedovršenog, no to je stoga što su autoricu stigla i sjećanja i sukobila se sa svakodnevnicom. Lijepo je to prneseno kroz pjesmu, no zbog kvaliteta pjesama drugih autora, bila sma prisiljena bodove ovako podijeliti. Svakako, ovoj autorici želim mnogo sreće.”

Pjesme autora iz dijaspore možete pogledati ovdje:

Mili Dueli 2020/21: Poezija autora balkanske dijaspore (Polufinale)

MILI DUELI 

Made in Bosnia and Herzegovina
by Nermin Delić

Europe / Balkan Peninsula
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Central Bosnia Canton
Jajce Town 70202

Sva prava zadržana. // All rights reserved.

Objava MILI DUELI 2020/21: Rezultati 4. kruga – DUEL 12 – Balkanska dijaspora pojavila se prvi puta na Mili Dueli.