Draft:Jelena Bilbija Lapcevic

Jelena Bilbija Lapčević (Crni Lug, Bosansko Grahovo, Ottoman Empire, 28 November 1902 - Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia, 8 August 1964) was a Serbian writer, translator, actress, journalist and radio and television announcer. She had the honor of being the first to announce the ceremonial start of the regular broadcast of Radio Belgrade. She was the first editor of the children's magazine Poletarac. She wrote several books for children.

Biography

Jelena Bilbija was born in 1902 in Crni Lug, municipality of Bosansko Grahovo, as one of five children (three daughters and two sons) of Miloš and Milka Bilbija.In her early childhood, she moved with her parents to Belgrade, where she finished teacher training. She studied at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb and at the same time attended the State Acting School, where she graduated in 1928.

In 1929, she was hired as an announcer at Radio Belgrade. In the period after liberation, she continued to work as an announcer at Radio Belgrade, and later moved to Filmske Novosti. In the meantime, she wrote children's literature and in 1947 became the editor-in-chief of the newly founded children's magazine Poletarac. She wrote several stories in children's magazines.

She was married to Dejan Lapčević. She died in Belgrade on August 8, 1964.

Broadcasting Career

It was on 24 March 1929 that the regular broadcasting of radio programs began from the building of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU),and the honour of announcing that ceremonial beginning went to Jelena Bilbija. The radio stopped broadcasting on 6 April 1941, during the Nazi bombing of Belgrade, and when, on 10 November 1944, in liberated Belgrade, the regular program of Radio Belgrade started again, Jelena Bilbija was again the first announcer. After the Second World War, Jelena Bilbija devoted herself intensively to the journalistic profession. She enjoyed the reputation and popularity of the best Yugoslav announcer, contributing to the affirmation of the profession and the training of young announcers. She was a role model for a constellation of talented radio journalists, including Gordana Boneti, Draga Jonaš, Mića Orlović and Branislav Surutka. Towards the end of Jelena Bilbija's life, she was an advisor at the founding of Television Belgrade.

Work

Jelena Bilbija published six books of short stories for children, which placed her at the very top of children's literature in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Her masterpiece, "Tales of the Village" and the "City", was included in regular school reading, and was published by the then most prestigious publishing house, Gete Kona.

When the pioneering monthly Poletarac was launched in 1947, Jelena Bilbija became the first editor-in-chief of this magazine. She also wrote for Pionirske novine, Žena danas, Književne novine, and Politika.

Bibliography

• Stories for Children (1934)
• Children in the Village and the City (1935)
• Brickey and Other Stories (1946)
• Grandma's piglets. Grisha's Cat (1946)
• Autumn Travelers (1961)