Struga Poetry Evenings

Struga Poetry Evenings, the renowned international festival, on in Struga from 19-22 August. The gathering is held annually to celebrate the art of poetry and public reading.  It was first organized back in 1962 to honor native sons Konstantin and Dimitar Miladinov, exceptional 19th century intellectuals, teachers and writers.  Today the festival celebrates poetry from around the world, including traditional readings and more experimental multimedia productions.

The festival opens each year with a traditional reading of Konstantin Miladinov’s beloved poem T’ga Za Jug (English: Longing for the South), which he wrote during his school years in Moscow. The most popular poetry events during the festival are “The Meridians” international poetry recital on the opening evening and “The Bridges of Struga” reading on the closing day. An evening of experimental forms called “Nights without Punctuation” showcases innovation and creativity.

One national and two international prizes are presented during the festival. The “Miladinov Brothers Award” is given for the best book of poetry published in Macedonia during the year between festivals. The 2010 award goes to Vladimir Martinovski for his book Quartets: for reading, watching, singing and listening.

The Golden Wreath is given to one world renowned poet each year for lifetime achievement in the field of poetry. The 2010 recipient is the Bulgarian poet Lyubomir Levchev, a leading figure from the “April” generation of poets that came into prominence after de-Stalinization in 1950. Levchev has published over 20 volumes of poetry and won numerous awards for his work, including a Gold Medal in Poetry from the French government.

The UNESCO Bridges of Struga Award is given for the most outstanding debut book of poetry published during the year. The 2010 recipient is Estonian Siim Kera, for Me vaatame kuud, kuni jääme pimedaks (English: We look at a month we will be blind to).

This festival is a paradise for poetry lovers, offering a wondrous mixture of ideas, sounds and artistic expression which both pleases the senses and enriches the soul.

Information:

Struga Poetry Evenings
Memorial home of Brothers Miladinovci
6330 Struga
Republic of Macedonia

tel: +389 46 786 270
fax: +389 46 786 280

email: struga@svp.org.mk