LIDIJA DIMKOVSKA – THE LAUREATE OF THE MAIN AWARD “NAIM FRASHËRI”

The winner of the great prize “Naim Frashëri”, of the XXIV Edition of the International Poetry Festival “Ditet e Naimit” is the Macedonian poet Lidija Dimkovaska. This is the decision of the Festival’s Jury composed of the literary researcher, Prof. dr. Ymer Çiraku (chairman), and poets and literary critics, Ndue Ukaj and Remzi Salihu (members). Also, the Festival’s Directorate has announced this year’s Laureate as an Honorary Member of the Festival. The International Poetry Festival “Ditet e Naimit”, will be held from 15th to 18th October 2020, in the city of Tetovo.

This was announced today, at a press conference held in front of the Cultural Center in Tetovo, by the director of IPF “Ditet e Naimit”, Shaip Emerllahu and member of the Festival’s Jury, Remzi Salihu. Earlier, well-known names were awarded with this literary prize, such as: Ismail Kadare (Albania), Desmond Egan (Ireland), Ali Podrimja (Kosovo), Fatos Arapi (Albania), Lionel Ray (France), Abdelatif Laabi (Morocco), Eva Lipska (Poland), Tua Forstrom (Finland), Peter Poulsen (Denmark), Craig Czury (USA), Athanase de Thracy (Bulgaria), Kuei shien Lee (Taiwan), Sebastiano Grasso (Italy), George Wallace (USA), Fiona Sampson (England), etc.

Festival’s director Shaip Emerllahu, said that this year 32 poets from different countries of the world have been invited, such as: USA, Canada, Martinique, Spain, Israel, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Iceland, Italy, Morocco, Poland, Greece, Turkey , Slovenia, Bulgaria and many poets from all over Albania and Kosovo. The program of this edition will also be diverse in terms of content. Within it, several literary classes will be held, books of the publishing house “Ditet e Naimit” will be promoted, cultural and historical sites will be visited. Also, on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the death of the national poet Naim Frashëri, will be held a scientific conference entitled “Naim Frashëri and the homeland”.

The member of the Festival’s Jury, Remzi Salihu presented the reasoning of the Jury for awarding the literary prize “Naim Frashëri”.

Lidija Dimkovska represents a prominent name in contemporary literature in the Macedonian language. She has published 6 volumes of poetry, three novels and a collection of short stories. Some of the works of this author have been translated into languages ​​such as: English, Polish, Czech, Bulgarian, Italian, Hungarian, Slovak, etc. She has won several literary awards, such as the one for her debut poetic work “Studentski zbor”, twice received the prose award “Stale Popov” of the Macedonian Writers’ Association, the German poetry award “Hubert Burda”, two Romanian awards. Poesis ”and“ Tudor Argezi ”, the European Poetry Prize“ Petru Krdu ”, the European Union Prize for Literature for the novel“ Reserve Life ”, special recognition“ European Cultural Heritage ”for best story, the Slovenian“ Cup of Eternity ”for ten-year poetic opus etc.

Lidija Dimkovska has a doctorate in Romanian literature, being for a time also a university lecturer of this literature. She has edited the anthology of Macedonian youth poetry, the anthology of contemporary Slovenian poetry in the Macedonian language, the contemporary anthology of minority and immigrant literature in Slovenia, etc.

She has participated in numerous international literary meetings in Europe and the USA, as well as in the residences of writers such as those in Iowa, Berlin, Graz, Krems, Vienna, Salzburg, Split, Tirana, Okinawa and London. She has been a member of the jury of the international award “Hubert” in Poland, as well as chair of the jury for the award “Vilenica” of the international literature festival in Slovenia. She has translated several literary works of Romanian and Slovenian literature into Macedonian.

The literary profile of this author is quite rich, both in literary creativity and in the field of translation and promotion of this creativity – in different cultures and languages.

Poetry is a salient value of this author. With the elliptical and figurative language that poetry carries, the concerns of today’s era are conveyed with an artistic level, looking at them not only locally, but in a syllable it can be said planetary. Realistic images of human destinies in today’s wars and in search of resources to their existential life, these images create in poetic verses not only the pain and sorrow for this condition, but also convey the appeal to feel the responsibility and to solve the challenges of humanity, wherever they arise. The inseparable responsibility and destiny of people and nations is clearly revealed and implied in its poetic text. Lydia’s poetic dimension encompasses universal artistic creativity, it penetrates the feelings of today’s man like a hidden camera, who faces the dynamics of life. Poetic images are conceived with the everydayness and traumas of time. In most cases it evokes the past, with its people and relatives. Her ironic language captures modern poetic segments that make poetry quite accessible and appealing. In some cases, to sublimate her style, she even uses the antithesis, to reveal the contradictions of life. Before her poetic perception, very sensitive social motives are intertwined, where the inspiration is the person, regardless of the color, the people or the religion. The poet Dimkovska knows how to paint these human details beautifully and with a high sensitivity. Her ironic language captures modern poetic segments that make poetry quite accessible and appealing. In some cases to sublimate her style she even uses the antithesis, to reveal the contradictions of life. Before her poetic perception, very sensitive social motives are intertwined, where the inspiration is the person, regardless of the color, the people or the religion. The poet Dimkovska knows how to paint these human details beautifully and with a high sensitivity. Her ironic language captures modern poetic segments that make poetry quite accessible and appealing. In some cases to sublimate her style she even uses the antithesis, to reveal the contradictions of life. Before her poetic perception, very sensitive social motives are intertwined, where the inspiration is the person, regardless of the color, the people or the religion. The poet Dimkovska knows how to paint these human details beautifully and with a high sensitivity.

Therefore, the awarding of the prize of the International Poetry Festival “Ditet e Naimit” to the writer Lidija Dimkovska, is an appreciation for the rich creativity of this author, who writes her literature in the language of a people, such as the Macedonian one, who share her life and culture – with the life and culture of the Albanian people.

 

Tetovo, 18 September 2020                                                                                                           D. Hadri