Vilnius Mazydas National Library, Vilnius, Lithuania, interior
Yuki Nagae is a poet who explores the possibilities of expanding the realm of poetry to the physical and virtual space. She was influenced by the Lithuanian poet and filmmaker Jonas Mekas and maintains strong ties with the Lithuanian literary scene.
The Vilnius Book Fair, launched in 2000, is the largest annual book fair in the Baltic states and one of Lithuania’s major cultural events. Designed both for a general audience and industry professionals, it offers over 550 events over a four-day programme, including writers’ talk shows, book presentations, discussions, film screenings, concerts, exhibitions, creative workshops, and other cultural activities that attracted over 65,000 local and foreign visitors annually until the pandemic. It is organized by the Lithuanian Publishers’ Association, the Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre “Litexpo”, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute. The fair is supported by the Ministry of Culture.
The Children’s Book Island international literature festival is part of a programme for children and adolescents called Children’s Land, which aims to spark interest in literature through non-formal educational and cultural activities organized by an NGO Mokyklų tobulinimo centras (School Improvement Center). This family-friendly literature festival presents the newest books for children and young adults by Lithuanian and international authors and provides a space for visitors to meet authors and illustrators. There are also interactive readings, creative workshops, theatre performances, and films based on literary works. It is supported by Lithuanian Council for Culture.
Vilnius Pages celebrates acclaimed and popular Lithuanian and international authors. The festival puts emphasis on creating a natural dialogue between writers and readers through meetings, discussions, debates, live public author readings, musical and poetic improvisations, concerts, exhibitions, performances, and literature-based film screenings. The events take place in numerous locations across the city, and many are free of charge. Vilnius Pages brings contemporary literature to the general public, making it a popular, attractive, and enjoyable pastime. It is organized by the Association for Reading Promotion and Cultural Literacy and the Lithuanian Writers’ Union.
Launched in 2019 by the NGO Open Books, this literature festival introduces works published in Lithuanian as well as their authors, and features topical discussions in the field of literature and culture, and meetings with well-known foreign authors. The festival is a literary kaleidoscope of the current year, featuring both celebrated and emerging writers selected by the organizers and a jury.
Launched in 1965, Poetry Spring is the biggest annual poetry festival in Lithuania, featuring celebrated and upcoming poets at more than 100 events, including poetry readings, talk shows, roundtable discussions, and more in several cities across the country. The festival combines traditional and innovative poetic expression and seeks to engage diverse audiences and generations. A festival yearbook is published every year, and festival winners are announced at a traditional closing event at Vilnius University.
A number of literary awards have been established by government and non-governmental organizations to commemorate Lithuania’s outstanding writers and poets, and to further deepen and celebrate their works and literary traditions. These include the Martynas Mažvydas, Maironis, Antanas Baranauskas, Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas, Lazdynų Pelėda, Vincas Krėvė, Antanas Vaičiulaitis, Martynas Vainilaitis, Marius Katiliškis, Liudas Dovydėnas, Vladas Šlaitas, Jurga Ivanauskaitė, Grigorijus Kanovičius Literary Prizes.
Organized since 2005, the annual Book of the Year Awards seek to encourage Lithuanian writers and publishers to create and publish quality literature for readers of all ages, encourage reading among citizens of all ages and social groups, create an environment conducive to reading, and make literature of artistic value readily available. It is organized by the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania and the Ministry of Culture in partnership with Lithuanian National Radio and Television. Readers nationwide vote for the Book of the Year based on a shortlist presented by an expert jury in five categories: Children’s books, Books for teenagers, Prose, Poetry and Non-fiction. The winners are announced at the Vilnius Book Fair.
This award recognizes the most important cultural and artistic works created in the past five years by Lithuanian creators active in Lithuania and around the world, including literary works and literary translations. Considered the highest cultural and artistic award in Lithuania, it is presented annually by the President of the Republic of Lithuania to six laureates on the eve of Lithuanian Independence Day, February 16.
The Companion Prize is established and awarded by the Lithuanian Association of Literary Translators to organizations or individuals, including critics, journalists, educators, librarians, linguists, and publishers, who have distinguished themselves in the past year in the field of literary translation or for the merits to the literary translator’s profession.
The annual St. Jerome Award is awarded in two categories: Firstly, to a literary translator for the most professional, artistic, and skillful translation into Lithuanian over the past three years, and secondly, to a translator of Lithuanian literature for professional and skillful translations into a foreign language, enabling the promotion of Lithuanian literature abroad. The candidates are nominated by artists’ associations and creative organizations, educational and cultural establishments, publishing houses, and other legal or natural persons. The St. Jerome Award is awarded by the Lithuanian Association of Literary Translators and the Ministry of Culture.
Every year, the Lithuanian Association of Literary Translators presents the Best Translated Book of the Year award to the best contemporary books of world literature published for the first time in Lithuanian in the previous year. A selection of 20 titles is made from bibliographical lists provided by the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. The aim of this initiative is to help readers, libraries, and bookshops spot significant works of world literature, encourage reading, and promote the profession of literary translators.
Translator of the Year Armchair is an annual prize for the best translation of fiction and essays into Lithuanian done during the previous year. Established by the Ministry of Culture in 2001, and organized by the Lithuanian PEN Centre, the prize aims to encourage the best translations of fiction and essays into Lithuanian. Candidates can be nominated by publishing houses, artists’ associations, NGOs, or other legal and natural persons. Applicants are selected by a jury from the Lithuanian PEN Centre.
Established in 2018 at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Nida, the International Centre for Translators and Writers (ICTW) is a division of the Klaipėda County Ieva Simonaitytė Public Library, providing a place to stay and work for Lithuanian and foreign creators, translators and writers. It offers a space for national and international literary professionals to meet, write, translate, communicate, and collaborate. The Center organizes international events, scholarship programmes, and creative camps for writers. It is open to applications throughout the year.
The Vilnius UNESCO City of Literature Residency is a programme dedicated to writers, illustrators and literary translators from all over the world. The programme provides an opportunity for writers, illustrators, and translators to stay in Vilnius for a four-week period and engage in creative work. The selected participants will receive travel expenses, accommodation in Vilnius’ iconic Užupis arts district, and a scholarship of 500 EUR. UNESCO’s City of Literature program is part of a wider Creative Cities Network launched in 2004 and is currently made up of 295 UNESCO Creative Cities globally.
