Milorad Pavić was a Serbian novelist, poet, short story writer, and literary historian, known for his innovative narrative style. He was born in Belgrade on October 15, 1929. Pavić's literary career was prolific and diverse, spanning poetry, novels, and short stories. Among his most famous works is Dictionary of the Khazars (1984), which was celebrated as "the first novel of the 21st century."

Pavić's writings have been translated into more than thirty languages, and he maintained significant popularity in Europe and South America. Often described as "one of the most intriguing writers from the beginning of the 21st century," he received numerous literary awards in Serbia and the former Yugoslavia and was frequently mentioned as a potential Nobel Prize candidate.

In addition to his literary pursuits, Pavić was a translator of works by Pushkin and Lord Byron into Serbian and served as a professor at the Universities of Novi Sad and Belgrade. He was a member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts since 1991. Pavić passed away in Belgrade on November 30, 2009, and his final resting place is the Alley of Distinguished Citizens at the Novo Groblje cemetery in Belgrade.