Winner of the 2025 Firebird Award
Prayers for the Lost & for the Living
Written by Dina Greenberg
In Prayers for the Lost & for the Living, Dina Greenberg demonstrates her versatility as a poet, story writer, and visual artist. She is also a scholar, whose study of the war in Bosnia has guided much of her approach to each of these forms. Her novel, Nermina’s Chance, a literary companion of Prayers, dives even deeper into that history, exploring it from the point of view of a young survivor of the war’s horrific violence.
We note that just after the release of Prayers, Dina Greenberg was awarded a position as a Fulbright International Scholar. Her mission is to develop oral histories of the small Jewish community in Kosovo. She will be hosted by the University of Prishtina’s Sociology Institute.
“A brave and subversive book” ~Anne Becker
”Dina Greeberg explores what it means to be human.” ~Jill Gerard
About the Author
Dina Greenberg
My trauma-sensitive writing and advocacy gives voice to survivors of war, displacement, and sexual violence. This work coalesced in Nermina’s Chance (Atmosphere Press), a novel whose protagonist escapes war in 1992 Bosnia. As an adjunct to my research on war-related trauma, this work of historical fiction approaches the aftermath of war in an intensely personal way.
I lead creative writing workshops, both in person, and in virtual spaces spanning the globe. The Nermina's Chance book tour throughout Bosnia (Aug-Sept 2022), and a return visit in 2024, provided me opportunities to engage with people of all ages in discussions about the impact of intergenerational trauma resulting from war and displacement.
My Prose and poetry has appeared in a range of literary publications, such as: Pembroke Magazine, Split Rock Review, Thrice Fiction, Bellevue Literary Review, Tahoma Literary Review, Barely South, and Wilderness House Literary Review.
I earned an MFA in fiction from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where I served as managing editor for the literary journal Chautauqua.
Recently, I've turned my attention to hybrid forms like prose poetry, flash fiction, and flash creative non-fiction. These compressed works provide me the opportunity to tinker to my heart's content, choosing each word with utmost intention and alacrity. Though my work often prods darker elements of human emotion, I remain primarily hopeful.