About The Author

Avdo Metjahić

I am a Bosniak writer, activist, and publicist, originally from Plav and Gusinje in Montenegro, formerly part of Yugoslavia. I was born in 1947 to a Bosniak father, Omer, and an Albanian mother, Đulja—heritage that has given me a deep sense of belonging to two cultures that continue to shape my life and creative work.

I grew up in the Plav–Gusinje region, an area rich in multicultural tradition, where the histories of Bosniaks, Albanians, and other peoples intertwine. It was there that my worldview was formed, along with a lasting sense of justice and a deep connection to my people and their destiny.
In 1970, I emigrated to the United States, settling in New York in search of a better life for my family. Along the way, I learned Italian in Rome, and after arriving in America, I worked a series of honest and demanding jobs—beginning as a toolmaker and continuing in various roles until my retirement in the 1990s. 

Since 1979, I have been actively involved in Bosniak community life in the United States. One of the most meaningful chapters of this work was editing the Bosniak Radio Hour in New York (1991–1994), a program dedicated to preserving the Bosnian language, culture, and identity within the diaspora. I have also contributed to the work of the Plav–Gusinje Cultural Center in New York.

My engagement has been inspired by distinguished intellectuals such as Dr. Jakub Bačić of Columbia University.

I am the author of several novels that explore the history of the Balkans and the lives, struggles, and destinies of Bosniaks and Albanians from Plav, Gusinje, Sandžak, and Kosovo. My published works include:

  • Elderly Conversations  –  Starački muhabeti (2004)
  • Exile – Muhadžerluk (2012)
  • Djafar Pasha Koljindar – Džafer-paša Koljindar (2016)
  • Winds of the Prokletije – Vjetrovi Prokletija (2021)
  • “Fortress of Freedom – Tvrđava slobode (2025)

My latest novel, The Quiet Strength of Man, is now available in English. Tvrđava slobode (2025) has also been translated into English and will soon be published in the United States, following its release in the Balkans.

Through my writing, I explore themes of migration, exile, Ottoman history, and the enduring struggle for dignity and survival. My work is rooted in true events and personal testimonies, with the aim of preserving collective memory and bearing witness to the experiences of my people. 

Key themes in my work include:

  • oral tradition and the wisdom of older generations;
  • migration and exile, with their pain and hope;
  • resistance to injustice through historical figures and lived stories;
  • the fall of empires and the lasting impact of the Balkan wars.

My writing seeks to build a bridge between cultures—especially Bosniak and Albanian—and to stand as a testament to truth and justice. I believe that truth remains the foundation of all meaningful human progress.

Today I live near Albany (New York) with my wife Selvija, surrounded by our family: we have five children, fifteen grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Even in the later years of my life, I continue to write and collaborate with several web magazines, remaining faithful to the written word as my lifelong calling.

A few sentences from the review of the novel “Winds of Prokletije” by Academician Prof. Dr. Ferid Muhić:

“Winds of Prokletije” is a powerful literary-historical essay on the tragedy of the Plav-Gusinje region during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of Montenegrin-Serbian rule. Through four thematically structured parts, the novel follows Ali Pasha Šabanagić, the fall of the Plav-Gusinje district, the resistance of Elmaz Aga and the kaçaks, as well as the proselytism and crimes of the Karadag authorities, drawing on precisely documented historical events. Masterful dialogue in authentic local dialect, convincingly developed characters, and a deeply humanistic message make this book both highly readable and profoundly moving—a testimony to the destruction of an entire world and the endurance of human dignity. This is a book of truth, courage, and nobility, essential for all who seek to understand Balkan history and the distinction between perpetrators and victims.”

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Also, a few sentences from the review of the  on the novel “Djafar Pasha Koljindar” by pf. dr. Ferid Muhić

„Historical truths—a book about the loyalty and self-sacrifice of the Bosniaks as a people, and of Djafer Pasha as one of their finest members and representatives. It is a book about heroism and compassion, about courage and humanity, about nobility and the self-respect of the Bosniaks. Ultimately, Džafer Pasha is a kind of book we have not seen in a long time, and one we have long awaited: a book by a Bosniak author about a Bosniak historical figure, written with deep respect for the Bosniak people. The book about Džafer Pasha Koljindar-Koljenović is a book of confidence and pride, from whose every page and every sentence radiates the brilliance of the Bosniak national character, epitomized in this extraordinary man—its central figure“.