Jovanka Stojcinovic Nikolic, a poetess, prose writer, essayist, and cultural booster, was born in the village of Ritesic near Doboj (Bosnia & Herzegovina). Up to 1998. she worked as a secondary school teacher in Doboj. From 1998 to 2010. she was General Manager of the Culture and Training Centre in Doboj. After that, as a member of Mayor's staff, she was Adviser for culture, sciences and education. So far she has published 15 books of poetry. In 2018. she published a book of accounts, essays and reviews under the title Parallel Roads. She has received many awards, among which the most important are: Award of Association of Writers of the Republic of Srpska (for the best book in 2009), Award of Association of Writers of Romanija-Sarajevo-Drina Chapter (for the unpublished manuscript in 2002), Koci's Pen, Susnjar, Metaphors of Sumadija, The Key of Dobor-City, Milan Lalic, The Goblet of the Girl of Kosovo, Annual Award of Association of Writers of the Republic of Srpska for the year 2014., Hadji Dragan, Golden Orphey by Number Seven Association of Writers in Frankfurt, international literary award Golden Ring (Skopje), Award of Association of Writers of Bulgaria. She has also won other highest recognitions - Golden Badge of Cultural and Educational Commnity of Serbia, Recognition of Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Srpska for the contribution to the development of culture, Emblem of the City of Doboj for the contribution to the cultural creativity, Charter of Association of Townsfolk of Doboj for the contribution to the development of culture. Her poetry has been translated into many languages (Russian, Italian, German, Roumanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, English, Armenian, Slovene, Ukrainian, Polish, Arabic). She is the founder of the theatre festival in Doboj (Theatre Fest) and has been its selector for more than a decade. She is the founder of the Fortress Visual Arts Workshop in Doboj and has been its selector for many years. She is the founder and coordinator of Landlady Art Colony Okolista-Ozren.
