Sofija Grandakovska received a BA and MA from the Department of General and Comparative Literature at the School of Philology, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, Macedonia. Her thesis subjects were Intervening Aspects of the Medieval Icon, Semiotics, Theology and Abstract Art and Discourse of the Prayer. Currently, she is preparing her PhD on The Akathistos Hymn of the Mother of God in the Context of Byzantine Hymnography. Her areas of scientific interest are comparative literature and visual art, especially the semiotics of Byzantine literature and fresco painting, sacred types of discourse, anthropology, theology, and cultural heritage.

Since 1992, Sofija has published research studies, reviews, essays, and poetry in Macedonian and foreign periodicals. From 2001-2004, she participated in the Balcanological and Byzantine Studies at the International Ohrid University and, in 2006, took part in the Balkan Poetry Festival in Greece. Sofija was involved with several scientific projects initiated by the Department of Linguistics and Literature at the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts including the Dictionary of Literary Terms, Interpretations, and The Epoch of Modernism in Macedonian Literature and Arts.

A few of her most significant individual research projects have been: Byzantine Homography (East and Latin) (2007-2008) supported by the Macedonian and Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts; Discourse of the Prayer (2007); Multiplied Story: Bible Text, Nerezi, Grotto and Macedonian contemporary poetry (2006); Female Monasticism in Macedonia (2005); Women’s Priesthood – Denominator of Spiritual Maternity (a comparative view at Orthodox and Catholic theology) (2003); Semiotic Code as a Bond between Different Historical Texts (2002).

Sofija has worked as a teacher of literature at International Nova High School and as assistant-researcher at the Department of Linguistics and Literature at the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts. She is also a member of the Macedonian Association of Comparative Literature and International Association of Comparative Literature (AILC/ILCA).

In 2006 she was designated as ‘the best young researcher’ and received the Vita Pop-Jordanova Award by the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts. She has also received: Testimonial from Ford Motor Company and Museum of Skopje: Conservation and Environmental Grants for an individual project, Female Monasticism in Macedonia (2004); recognition from University Ss. Cyril and Methodius-Skopje, Macedonia for Special Affirmation of the University (2006); and national recognition from the government of Macedonia about her scientific achievements (2006).

She is the author of the two books of poetry: The Eighth Day (2005, in Macedonian and in English) and The Burden Sun (2007, translated in Macedonian, English, Serbian, Albanian and Greek). She recently published Discourse of the Prayer (2008), a scientific study.

Sofija Grandakovska was recommended by artist Hristina Ivanoska who founded and advises the artists-run-space “press to exit project space” in Skopje, Macedonia.