When you live in Vienna, Sarajevo has three meanings for you. It is the city where the "Thronfolger" Franz Ferdinand was shot which led to World War I. For the younger ones it's the place where Austria won only one medal at the Winter Olympics (and that's some sort of trauma for Austria). And of course, we have seen so many photos from the war in the 90ies. But then - suddenly we or I am out of pictures. What happened after the war? How is the city recovering, rebuilding and doing these days?
Italo takes us to Sarajevo to show us youth/young adults in the aftermath of the year-long war, the slow recovering, the perspective or more the loss of perspective living with the burden of a conflict you never were part of. It's not a pleasant picture he draws of the city but you can feel the "emptiness" of this generation when you reach the end of the book! Why do then people stay there? "In Sarajevo nothing seems to ever be good enough, but nobody wants to leave. ... It must be true love, there seems to be no other explanation." (from the foreword).

Not an easy book but nevertheless with a strong impression which forms "picture #4"on Sarajevo for me.

"Overnight Generation is a portrait of Sarajevo and a tribute to its young citizens: a generation that had to grow up overnight, while we were asleep".

Buy the book directly from Italo Morales.

Edition of 600 numbered copies, hardcover with dust jacket.