Year

2011

Over one hundred poets, critics, and publishers from Lithuania and abroad participated in the 22nd Druskininkai Poetic Fall Literary Festival (DPF) that took place on October 5-10th, 2011.

The main participants in readings were: Eugenijus Ališanka (Lithuania; trans. Kerry Shawn Keys); Ulidis Bėrzinš (Latvia; trans. Erika Drungytė); Ilzė Butkutė (Lithuania; trans. Medeinė Tribinevičius); Daiva Čepauskaitė (Lithuania; trans. Ada Valaitis); Romas Daugirdas (Lithuania; trans. Medeinė Tribinevičius); Dainius Dirgėla (Lithuania; trans. Medeinė Tribinevičius); Kathryn Farris (USA; trans Marius Burokas); Dainius Gintalas (Lithuania; trans. Ada Valaitis); Gunnar Harding (Sweden; trans. Zita Mažeikaitė); Ilya Kaminsky (USA; trans. Sonata Paliulytė); Aušra Kaziliūnaitė (Lithuania; trans. Joseph Grikis and Daiva Litvinskaitė); Gorazd Kocijančič (Slovenia; trans. Laima Masytė); Marcin Kurek (Poland; trans. Vytas Dekšnys); Andres Langemets (Estonia; trans. Danutė Sirijos Giraitė); Aksinia Mihailova (Bulgaria; trans. Laima Masytė); Dennis O'Driscoll (Ireland; trans. Laimantas Jonušys); Sigurdur Palsson (Iceland; trans. Jurgita Marija Abraitytė); Sibila Petlevski (Croatia; trans. Laima Masytė); Monika Rinck (Germany; trans. Laurynas Katkus); Lev Rubinštein (Russia; trans. Benediktas Januševičius); Yolanda Soler Onis (Spain; trans. Arvydas Makštutis); Uberto Stabile (Spain; trans. Audrius Musteikis); Ričardas Šileika (Lithuania; trans. Al Zolynas); Soren Ulrik Thomsen (Denmark; trans. Giedrius Tamaševičius); Francesco Tomada (Italy; trans. Audrius Musteikis); Artūras Valionis (Lithuania; trans. Al Zolynas); Al Zolynas (Lithuania; trans. Edgaras Platelis).

All of the events that were planned for the festival program took place: five readings in Druskininkai, three in Vilnius, a conference, alternative events, an auction, and the presentation of the DPF anthem. The theme of the 2011 festival was "What Isnft Poetry?" Marijus Šidlauskas together with Agnė Žagrakalytė moderated the conference discussion. Presentations were given by Marijus Šidlauskas, Viktorija Daujotytė, Agnė Žagrakalytė, Benediktas Januševičius.

Mindaugas Nastaravičius, who was in charge of the youth readings, selected ten young poets. Antanas A. Jonynas' "Pushkin Prize" was awarded to Marius Plečkaitis. The following day was dedicated to a discussion of young poets' works. After the young poets' readings an "Open Mic" was led by Agnė Žagrakalytė where anyone who wanted to could participate.

On Saturday morning the gallery SOFA opened a photography exhibit "Photog¬raphy (Painting) Isn't Poetry?" The café "Boulangerie" presented Andrius Mosiejus' matchbox collection and Ričardas Šileika's photography exhibit "Well, What Isn't Fire?" Later that day alternative readings titled "The Morning Is Not Poetry" were held. In the evening an auction of unpoetic works was led by Agnė Žagrakalytė.

A jury led by Kęstutis Navakas awarded the Yotvingis Prize to the Lithuanian National Prize laureate, Alfonsas Andriuškevičius for his book Vėlyvieji tekstai ("Late Texts") (Vilnius; Apostrofa, 2010). The Young Yotvingis Prize was awarded to the poet and translator Marius Burokas for his book Išmokau nebūti ("I Learned To Not Be") (Vilnius: Tyto Alba, 2011).

The traditional anonymous single poem competition was also held. Jurga Jasponytė received third place, Sara Poisson fourth place, and Vladas Braziūnas came in fifth place. Vainius Bakas won first and second place, but these prizes were annulled due to the fact that he broke the rules of the competition by submitting two poems. Kornelijus Platelis (1st place), Dainius Dirgėla (2nd place) and Gražina Viktorija Petrošienė (3rd place) won the thematic poem competition, "If I were not a poet, I'd be." Anta¬nas A. Jonynas, Kornelijus Platelis and Kęstutis Navakas won the playful poem/limerick competition.

On Sunday the festival traveled to Vilnius where a DPF guest and laureate poetry reading was held in St. Catherine's Church. Readings of poems by Czesław Miłosz translated into languages of DPF participants took place on the Czesław Miłosz Stairs on Monday, and the festival was closed with the post-festival readings led by Antanas A. Jonynas in the Užupis café.

Marius Burokas

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