"RANDOM PHANTOM" Artwork

My name is Ana Berbakov, but if you call me Anee—it means you either know me personally or you're my mom. I was born in July 1985 in Kruševac, Serbia, where I still live, write, paint, and occasionally try to explain to my neighbors what exactly it is that I do.

By profession, I'm a marketing manager, but at heart I'm a writer, and by brush—an artist. I published my first story back in elementary school, while my classmates were still playing marbles and trading football stickers. Magazine features followed, and then—boom! The year was 2013 and my first novel Operation Eros hit the shelves. Detective Sofija Kovač became the star, and I—“the Serbian Agatha Christie,” at least until someone comes up with a better nickname.

More crime thrillers followed: Diamond Dust (2016) and Cassiopeia’s Curse (2017). Luckily, Sofija didn’t quit solving cases, and neither did I stop writing.

Meanwhile, I also fell in love with poetry. In 2015, I published the bilingual collection The Light of Mind – Svetlost svesti, and in 2023, Threads – Niti. So yes, I write when I'm in love—and when I’m not.

As a writer and editor-in-chief, I also collaborated on three monographs for the Kruševac Waterworks: the first in 2017 to mark the company’s 60th anniversary, the second in 2019 celebrating 40 years of the Ćelije reservoir, and the third in 2024 for the 40-year jubilee of the Majdevo Water Factory. So, if you ever need someone to connect literature and pipelines—you know who to call.

Since 2018, I've been a member of the Association of Writers of Serbia—which sounds pretty nice when written out.

But wait, there’s more! (As they say in commercials.) I paint! I started with drawings on paper, and eventually moved to canvas, colors, and textures. My inspiration comes from pop art, pulp art, and personal madness. My paintings, though static, love to tell stories. Some even end up on walls—or on clocks.

A special part of my work is Cat Corner—a painting brand dedicated to colorful, quirky, and charming cats that, just like me, don’t like being boxed in. I combine art, humor, and unusual stories—because why should a cat in a painting be ordinary, when it can wear glasses and philosophize about the meaning of life?

If you love mystery, art, bold colors, and a touch of irony—drop by my profile. There you’ll find books, paintings, prints, and maybe a detective watching you from the shadows.

With love and a bit of detective flair,
Yours, Anee