draganjr@bankerinter.net Serbian Dragan J. Ristic's home page Yugoslavia Dragan J. Ristic, born in 1948 in Nis, teaches German language and German literature. He is a translator of German literature and a short story writer as well. The Anthology of the Shortest German Stories (Belgrade 1993) is his best-known book of translations. His haiku, senryu, haibun, and renku have appeared in magazines and collections all over the world, including Yugosalvia, Japan, USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, Poland, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, New Zealand, Greece, Slovenia, Holland, Czechy, Norway and France. His haiku collections include: From the Diary of an Haijin (Prosveta, Nis, 1995); Having an obsession (senryu; Punta, Nis, 2000). Since 1996, he has been Editor in Chief of the haiku magazine Haiku novine. Dragan's work has appeared in: Knots Anthology of Southeastern European Haiku Poetry (Dimitar Anakiev, Jim Kacian Tolmin, Slovenia, 1999); A Piece of the Sky - Haiku from an air-raid shelter (Czech, 1999); Haiku World (William J. Higginson, Japan, 1996); Rabengekraechze (Ingo Cesaro, Germany 1998); Haiku 1998 (Deutsche Haiku-Gesellschaft e.V. German Haiku Society anthology); Groschen gefallen (Ingo Cesaro, Germany, 2000); An Exchange of Gifts (New Zealand Poetry Society annual anthology 2001). His most important awards for haiku inlcude: First Prize in Azami's Spring Haiku Contest (Japan 1997); Highly Commended, James Hackett Award (England 1997); Award of Special Recognition, Haiku Headlines (USA 1997); First Prize in Italian Spring Contest 1999; Honourable Mention, Haiku International Association Haiku Contest (Japan 1999); The Inspirational Award, Ashia Haiku Festival (Japan, 1999); First Prize on The 34th A-Bomb Day Memorial Haiku Meeting (Japan 2000).