Struga, 25 August 2022 (MIA) — The Struga Poetry Evenings are a sobering warning about modern communication and poets are healers, according to Minister of Culture Bisera Kostadinovska Stojchevska in her speech at the opening ceremony of the 61st SPE festival. “In a world where there is less and less poetry, and we need it more and more, welcome to its island, welcome to poetic Struga,” the culture minister said. “And if poetry is the queen of literary expression, then Struga is the world capital of poetry, now for the 61st time,” Kostadinovska Stojchevska said. Addressing young generations, she said she had noticed people were communicating less and less, "replacing the beautiful words of their native languages with emoticons." Macedonian poet Gordana Mihailova Boshnakoska recalled the first SPE festival, which she attended in 1961 as its youngest participant. She said the Macedonian poetic anthem was Konstantin Miladinov's “Longing for the South,” which she said “leads us all through life, which we go through in sorrow, but we also win." Mihailova Boshnakoska also remarked that Macedonian poetry has been well established and recognized almost worldwide. “So taking part in the SPE is a privilege not only for Macedonian poets, but also for poets from all over the world,” she said. The opening ceremony included lighting the festival fire, a music and dance performance, as well as the "Meridians" reading. Ahead of the official opening of the poetry festival, a tree sapling was planted in the Poetry Park in honor of the 2022 Golden Wreath winner, Japanese poet Shuntarō Tanikawa. Due to his advanced age, he is not able to attend the festival in person. His son Kensaku Tanikawa will receive the award on his behalf. mr/