Struga, 8 July 2024 (MIA) - Filipa Sara Popova with "Broken Terrarium" is the winner the 2024 Young Struga award for unpublished poetry collection from a young debut author, awarded by the national institution Struga Poetry Evenings, in cooperation with Europe House Struga and the EU Delegation.

At a press conference on Monday announcing the winner, jury president Slave Gjorgo Dimoski said they received 15 manuscripts from young debut authors, and that with the other jury members - Violeta Tancheva-Zlateva and Andrej Al-Asadi they selected: Pepi Stamkov's "Collected Remnants from the World," Svetla Jakshikj's "Night Sulfur," and Filipa Sara Popova's "Broken Terrarium."

"After reviewing the submitted texts, the jury concluded that the texts were similar in theme and motif, following contemporary poetry trends, but when it comes to the structure of the verse or poem, or even book as a whole, the quality varies," Dimoski noted.

According to their explanation, Popova is an extraordinarily gifted poetess, full of lucid reflections and sensations about life, time, and the world, shaped by the need to search for meaning, while being aware that the poetic voice itself is the search. She uses simple and playful language, full of symbols, images, and logical correlations.

Struga Poetry Evenings Director Todorche Tasevski pointed out that the festival has always made space for young poets.

"This year, young poets will get another opportunity: renewal of Young Struga award, which in the past was eagerly anticipated by young poets. The prize is awarded for an unpublished poetry collection by a young debut author, who in addition to a monetary prize, receives the opportunity to publish the poetry collection within the framework of the Festival's publications. But also the opportunity to take part and promote the publication at the Struga Poetry Evenings festival," Tasevski said.

According to him, the support of the EU Delegation through the Europe House Struga as patron of the Young Struga and Enhalon awards, is confirmation of the support for the creativity of young poets who enrich the European cultural mosaic, as well as the Struga Poetry Evenings as a world-renowned and famous Festival. ssh/ik/

Photo: MIA