Mehmed Mesa Selimovic was born on April 26th 1910 in Tuzla. In his hometown he finished elementary school and Grammar School. In 1930 he enters in the group Serbian-Croatian Language and Yugoslav Literature of Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade. In 1944 he goes to Belgrade and carries out significant political and cultural functions. From 1947 he lives in Sarajevo and works as a professor of Academy of pedagogy, docent of Faculty of Philosophy, art director of "Bosnia Movie", drama director of the National Theatre and chief editor of Publishing firm "Svjetlost".
After his first book, collection of relation "First troop" (1950), with the topic from the National Liberation War, he publishes novel "Silence" (1961). After that he publishes "Foreign land" (1962) and short poetic novel "Fog and moonlight" (1965).
"Dervish and Death" (1966) was welcomed by liberal criticism as a remarkable work. Writers from Bosnia and Herzegovina suggested that Mesa should be candidate for Nobel's prize for literature. In his book, "Friends", Dobrica Cosic presents part of testimonial letter of Mesa Selimovic to Serbian Art Academy from 1976. Selimovic writes:
"I come from Muslim family, my nationality is Serbian. I belong to Serbian literature, but literature creativity in Bosnia and Herzegovina I take as native literary center, but not special literature of Serbian-Croatian literary language. I equally respect my origin and my commitment, because I am also connected to anything that identified my personality and my work. Each attempt to separate it, in any case, I would consider misuse of my basic right guaranteed by Statute. Therefore, I belong to the nation and literature of Vuk, Matavulj, Stevan Sremac, Borislav Stankovic, Petar Kocic, Ivo Andric, and my deepest relationship with them I don't need to prove."
Novel "Fortress" (1970) was filled with faith in love, which was understood as the bridge that connects people, with no matter to difference in beliefs, civilizations and ideologies. He died in Jyly 11th 1982 in Belgrade.
Graphical realization: Miodrag Nikolic. Final graphical processing: Bozidar Dosenovic and Nebojsa Djumic
Publisher: POSTE SRPSKE, Banja Luka
