Year

2006

The XVII International Literary Festival Druskininkai Poetic Fall took place on October 4 – 9, 2006, and was highly successful. More than 110 poets, literary critics, and publishers took part in the event.

The annual anthology of the DPF was published for the festival. It is composed of its traditional two parts: the year's featured poets and echoes from the previous festival. We presented in it all our international guests translated into Lithuanian and five Lithuanian poets translated into English: Elena Karnauskaitė (Lithuania), translated by Jonas Zdanys; Anna Auzinia (Latvia), translated by Erika Drungytė; John Barnie (Wales), translated by Palmira Mikėnaitė ir Antanas A. Jonynas; Bengt Berg (Sweden), translated by Liana Ruokytė; fs (Estonia), translated by Danutė Sirijos-Giraitė; Aidas Marčėnas (Lithuania), translated by Laima Sruoginis; Rody Gorman (Scotland), translated by Kornelijus Platelis; Maria Grech Ganado (Malta), translated by Eugenijus Ališanka; Ryszard Krynicki (Poland), translated by Antanas Gailius; Klaus-Jürgen Liedtke (Germany), translated by Antanas Gailius; Edita Nazaraitė (Lithuania), translated by Edita Nazaraite/Anna Mioduchowska; Njordur P. Njardvik (Iceland), translated by Jurgita Marija Abraitytė; Frank Norten (Germany), translated by Antanas. A. Jonynas; Siargej Prylucky (Belarus), translated by Vladas Braziūnas; Boel Schenlaer (Sweden), translated by Ramunė Dambrauskaitė Muralienė; Gintaras Patackas (Lithuania), translated by Jonas Zdanys; Harry Smith (USA), translated by Agnė Biliūnaitė; Pia Tafdrup (Denmark), translated by Giedrius Tamaševičius; Jüri Talvet (Estonia), translated by Danutė Sirijos-Giraitė; Triztan Vindtorn (Norway), translated by Nora Strikauskaitė; and Rolandas Rastauskas (Lithuania), translated by Edita Page (Petrauskaitė). The festival started with readings by Polish poet Ryszard Krynicki (moderator Algis Kalėda) at the Polish Institute on Wednesday, October 4, and at Vilnius University the next day. Our guests from abroad arrived in Druskininkai on Thursday.

Last year we concluded our cycle of festivals related to the elements, having dedicated the final one to Earth. This year we decided to "put to work" one more element, following Chinese tradition – Wood. All the more so because the DPF logo is a tree, dropping pages filled with poetry, and the festival itself was created as a holiday of falling leaves. That's why it is possible to say that the tree is the principal symbol of DPF, its title theme. In place of the traditional theoretical conference we arranged for a shorter discussion about new directions in poetry in Lithuania and in those countries from which we are awaiting guests.

The discussion was moderated by Laurynas Katkus. Afterwards, we had readings of poetry by younger Lithuanian poets (moderated by Ilzė Butkutė and Lukas Miknevičius), which earlier had taken place in Vilnius because there was not sufficient convenient time for them in Druskininkai. Later a poetry-art exhibition by Benediktas Januševičius was opened at the art gallery Sofa.

The rest of the program in Druskininkai and in Vilnius did not change too much; all of the traditional activities took place: two poetry evenings moderated by Sara Poisson – Gerardo Beltrán and by Erika Drungytė – Leszek Engelking; the presentation of books published during the year moderated by Virginijus Gasiliūnas; chamber (moderators Alis Balbierius and Julius Keleras) and night (moderators Indrė Valantinaitė, Alvydas Šlepikas, and Rolandas Rastauskas) readings; the presentation of work by guests from abroad and prize winners in Vilnius at St. Catherine's Church, moderated by Erika Drungytė and Kerry Shawn Keys; and the evening in the Užupis Café moderated by Antanas A. Jonynas. Friday's night readings – "The Night of the Single Poem" – took place outside Café Širdelė and was moderated by Alvydas Šlepikas. Saturday morning in the Dainava courtyard the "Act of Destroying Trees" and the performance of wall writing took place, moderated by Ričardas Šileika.

The Yotvingiai Prize was awarded to Kęstutis Navakas for his collection of poems "Atspėtos fleitos," Lithuanian Writers' Union Publishers, 2006. The Young Yotvingian's Prize went to Vytautas Dekšnys for his collection of poems "Iszimtys," published by Vario burnos and Kitos knygos, Vilnius, 2005, and for his translations of Polish poetry into Lithuanian.

The following anonymous contests were held: a single poem; The Tree of Poetry – The Tree of the World; and the humorous: Pinocchio, the floor is yours. Our guests from abroad took part in the competitions, with Lithuanian translations of their work. Results of the competition of one anonymous poem were: 1. Kornelijus Platelis; 2. Pia Tafdrup (Denmark), translated by Giedrius Tamaševičius; 3. Donatas Petrošius; 4. Maria Grech Ganado (Malta), translated by Eugenijus Ališanka; and 5. Agnė Biliūnaitė. The results of the competition The Tree of Poetry – The Tree of the World were: 1. Donatas Petrošius; 2. Gintaras Patackas; and 3. Antanas A. Jonynas. And, the results of the competition Pinocchio, the floor is yours were: 1. the Jury decided not to award a 1st place prize; 2. Antanas A. Jonynas; and 3. Tomas Taškauskas.

Kornelijus Platelis
Translated by Jonas Zdanys

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