On 2 October 2019, at 2 pm, the Language Institute of the University of Sarajevo, in cooperation with the National Museum of BiH, organized a promotion of the book The Scent of Quinces. A Selection of Traditional Love Songs from Bosnia-Herzegovina / Miris dunja. Odabrane sevdalinke iz Bosne i Hercegovine, written by Masha Belyavski-Frank. She is from DePauw University in the United States, and her scientific field is our language as well as our literature. The book brings an introductory study, a translation of 136 sevdalinka into English and a review.

The promoters were: Ph.D. Nirha Efendić from the National Museum of BiH, prof. dr. Sanjin Kodrić from the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo and Hadžem Hajdarević, writer, from the Language Institute of the University of Sarajevo. Writer Hadžem Hajdarević, as a book reviewer, presented the sevdalinka from a literary, poetic point of view and referred to the beauty and importance of the sevdalinka, but also highlighted our rich heritage. Dr. Nirha Efendić, in addition to emphasizing the importance of the work itself, but also of Sevdalinka, spoke about working with prof. Belyavski-Frank, on the writing of this book, and prof. dr. Sanjin Kodrić talked about the position of the Sevdalinka through the literary-historical course and that this book talks about the life of one people, just as every Sevdalinka talks about the lifestyle of every individual who belongs to that nation.

The promotion was moderated by Elmira Resić, MA, assistant at the Language Institute of the University of Sarajevo. As the author was prevented from attending the promotion, the moderator read parts of the book’s preface where the author is explaining the origin of the book itself, difficulties in translating sevdalinka, but also tells us about the sevdalinka, as a specific poem of primarily Muslim Bosniaks, but also of the whole of the Bosnian population.

The promotion of this significant book was enhanced by Hanka Paldum, a sevdalinka interpreter.