The 54th Kozara Literary Meetings have officially opened at Mrakovica, with eight events scheduled as part of this year’s program.
As in previous years, the festival opened at the “Poets’ Park,” where a wreath was laid at the bust of renowned poet Skender Kulenović.
In memory of last year’s laureate, recently deceased writer Boro Kapetanović, students from the Sveti Sava Grammar School in Prijedor prepared recitations of his poems Forget and Gringo.
“When we were deciding which poems to prepare for today, Boro was our first choice, precisely because of his recent passing. In this way, we wanted to remember a great man and highlight his importance,” said Jovan Stojanović, a third-year student at the Sveti Sava Grammar School in Prijedor.
The jury unanimously decided to award this year’s “Skender Kulenović – Kozara Literary Wreath” to Serbian writer Drago Kekanović.
“He is an author who lives outside his home country, in Zagreb, but through some of his works he bears witness, in his own way, to the lives of Serbs in Western Slavonia,” said Đorđe Nešić, a member of the jury of the 54th Kozara Literary Meetings.
The organizers emphasized that the meetings provide an opportunity for literary dialogue while reaffirming a commitment to nurturing art and culture.
“Events will be held across cultural institutions in the city of Prijedor. I invite all of our fellow citizens to come and see the program, and I also invite people from the cities that are co-organizing the event,” said Aleksandar Milješić, head of Prijedor’s Department for Culture, International Cooperation, Sports and Non-Governmental Organizations.
The central event, a ceremonial academy, will be held on Friday, September 18.
A poetry gathering and an evening dedicated to the award winner will take place the following day.
Source: RTRS
