Mit - Index

Mit - UVK_Sinfo_2008_09_št.13 - Index

s o C i e t y
Text: JOŽE OSTERmAN, Photo: STA
VILENICA hAS ‘TAkEN OVER’ kRAS
Every year at the beginning of September the greatest middle-
European literary festival, Vilenica, takes place in Slovenia. This
year, we celebrated the 23rd with an author as the subject of
the festival’s key theme − the man behind the literature, the only
indispensable link in the chain of literary production. The motto
of this year’s festival was “Who is writing?” Literary readings
hosted 25 readers, while the conferences focused on the position
of the author in contemporary literature history and cultural
industry. Approximately 70 writers, publishers, cultural managers
and others connected with the publication of books attended
the festival.
The central event was the presentation of the prize to the Polish
writer, poet and critic Andrzej Stasiuk in Vilenica Cave, with
Slovene president Dr. Danilo Türk as the keynote speaker. The
reading of the first lady of Slovene poetry, Svetlana MakaroviË,
this year’s “author in focus”, also drew special attention.
Among others, the festival presented contemporary Lithuanian
literature and the creativity of the people from the mysterious
Slovene valley of Rezija (Val Resia), on the Italian side of the
Slovene-Italian boarder, where the plains begin to rise to the
Alps. Also an important event was the presentation of a Central
European Initiative award to the young Croatian author Ivana
Sajko. This special monetary award is presented to young authors
from central and east European states by the CEI Fellowship, a
foundation to which Central European Initiative member states
contribute.
sinfo 13 28
TwO SLOVENES AT ThE VENICE fILm
fESTIVAL
This year’s Venice Film Festival, the only one that can be likened
to the festival in Cannes, was very favourable to Slovenes. Two