Predrag Koraksić was born on June 15, 1933 in Gornja Gorevnica near Čačak, in a family of teachers. His childhood was marked by war and the loss of his father, a partisan who was killed during the Second World War, as well as the refugee that followed. He started publishing cartoons at the age of 17 - in 1950, in the satirical newspaper "Hedgehog", he began an exceptional career spanning more than seven decades. Although he studied architecture in Belgrade, he decided to devote himself entirely to caricature and journalism.
Koraks worked in "Večernji novosti" for more than three decades, from where he was dismissed in 1993 as unfit. After that, he continued to work in independent media - first in the weekly "Vreme" and the daily "Borba", then on the portals "Peščanik" and Slobodna Evropa, and in the newspaper "Danas" he published cartoons almost every day for 26 years. For decades, he defended the right to free opinion and freedom of expression with cartoons and activism, leaving an indelible mark on journalism, media culture and public life in Serbia and the Balkans. His distinctive drawing and sharp humor were a symbol of resistance to authoritarianism, nationalism and abuse of power. He was just and incorruptible, direct and precise, and the caricatures clearly showed how great and inexhaustible his sense of humor and satire was.
There is probably no journalistic award that Koraksić has not been crowned with, especially in the last three and a half decades - from "Pierre", through "Dušan Bogavac" and "Stanislav Staša Marinković", to the Good Example of New Optimism. In October 2004, the Republic of France awarded him the Legion of Honor for his outstanding contribution to the fight for democracy, freedom of expression and anti-fascism.
Yes, and for anti-fascism, because the extremists made his childhood bitter, and he was their target in the last four decades of his life, so he tirelessly and unwaveringly pointed out with caricature and words all the perniciousness of chauvinism, xenophobia and hate speech.
As one of the founders of NUNS, he was part of the generation that created space for independent and professional journalism in the most difficult times. Due to his exceptional contribution to the profession and the fight for media freedom, NUNS awarded him the status of honorary member in 2021, on the occasion of his 88th birthday.
Corax was a unique chronicler of the times and his perspective on reality and voice will be sorely missed. His colleagues and friends: Branka Prpa, Dušan Petričić, Željko Bodrožić, Dragoljub Draža Petrović, Branislav Guta Grubački, Mijat Lakićević and Jelka Jovanović will speak about his work, and about cooperation and association with him, on Saturday, May 23, from 15 p.m. at the Center for Cultural Decontamination.
