On the occasion of the 60th anniversary festival, the Board of the Writers’ Union decided that two prizes will be awarded from now on – the winner of the Maironis Prize will be awarded in Kaunas, and the winner of the Poetry Spring will be crowned at the closing evening in Vilnius.
Earlier, it was reported that 8 candidates applied for the Maironis prize: Vilius Dinstmanas for the poetry book “Archangel: I am sure”, Diana Paklonskaitė for the book of poems “Flowers as dogs”, Albinas Galinis for the poetry collection “Saulētržiza”, Jonas Liniauskas for the poetry book ” The eyes of the wind”, Alvydas Valenta for the poetry collection “The Discovery of America or the Dance of Imagination”, Vytautas Kaziela for the book of poems “Neatsimerk, Lord”, Gediminas Kostkevičius for the book of poetry “Do you remember the drunken feast of youth?”, Aldona Dudonytė-Širvinskienė for the book of poems ” Drip of wax”.
On Monday, the Writers’ Union announced that five candidates applied for the “Poetry Spring” laureates: Albinas Galinis for the book of poems “The Return of the Sun” (Slinktys, 2023), Vytautas Kaziela for the book of poems “Neatsimerz, Lord” (Kauko laiptai, 2023), Jonas Liniauskas for the book of poems “Vējo akys” (Slinktys, 2023), Diana Paklonskaitė for the book of poems “Flowers like dogs” (Slinktys, 2023) and Alvydas Valenta for the book of poems “The Discovery of America, or the dance of imagination” (Slinktys, 2023).
V. Kaziela is the author of a long and solid bookshelf of books written and compiled, laureate of more than one literary prize – Antanas Baranauskas, Antanas Miškinis, Kazios Umbras. In 2013, he was awarded the Art and Culture Prize of the Utena District for the continuity of Aukshaita elegy and the enduring value of Lithuanian literature. In 2018, the municipality of Utena district awarded a sign and a thank you – for a significant contribution to fostering the literary life of the Utena region, the education of young creators, professionalism and active civic social activities. In 2019, readers chose V. Kaziela’s poetry book “Alyvmedžiai” as the Book of the Year. In 2023, the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore selected the poet’s book “Neatsimerk, Lord” among the twelve most creative books.
The poet himself says: “I have never written either patriotic poems or civic poems, and suddenly they began to come here. The war in Ukraine changed everything. Why would it be necessary for the Lord to open his eyes, see and do something? No, I’m thinking. We earned it ourselves. We have to try to manage. And if we don’t manage, then open your eyes, Lord.”
The prize will be awarded to V. Kaziela at the closing evening of the “Poetry Spring” festival, which will be held on May 26 at the Vilnius Town Hall, while the Maironis prize should be awarded to I. Rudžianskaite on May 24. in Kaunas.
