For Us, Not for Them emerges from the quiet tension between the world that is inherited and the world that is imagined. The work focuses on moments when individuals encounter limits – imposed by society, circumstance, or themselves – and on creativity as a subtle but persistent form of rebellion.
Through poetry, the project explores the fragile space between order and chaos, the spoken and the unspoken, conformity and transgression. Language becomes a site where rules are tested and occasionally broken in order to preserve a sense of humanity.
The work approaches poetry not only as reflection, but as movement, a force capable of opening paths toward empathy, clarity, and courage. At its core lies a simple yet urgent proposition: transformation begins with questioning what is accepted as ‘normal.’
The project is part of the subthemes Poetic Infrastructures – Reclaiming Space, Building Commons, The Poetics of Care – Intimacy, Tenderness, Repair.
Author
Aleksandar Mihajlović
Aleksandar Mihajlović (b. 1971) is a school teacher, poet, short story writer, and literary reviewer based in Gostivar, North Macedonia. He is the author of two poetry collections, Altani and Others (2019) and Less Deceived (2021), as well as the short story collection The Light of the World (2022).
His poetry has received several awards, including recognition at the International Poetry Festival Literary Sparks (2018), Melnik Poetry Evenings in Bulgaria (2020), and the Il Parnaso – Premio Angelo La Vecchia in Italy (editions 2020/21 and 2022/23). His work has been published in joint poetry collections, literary journals, and magazines such as Sovremenost, (e)Lit, and the web magazine Elements (Perun Artis), as well as other online publications.
Selections of his poetry have been translated into more than five languages and published in international magazines and anthologies. He lives and works in Gostivar, Republic of North Macedonia.
