The Lithuanian Writers’ Union, the Lithuanian Journalists’ Union, and the National Association of Journalists and Creators, celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Lithuanian Writers’ and Journalists’ Union, established the annual Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas Prize. In 2024, the Anykščiai District Municipality became a co-founder of this prize.
Read more Donald Trump appointed the US Secretary of the Navy
The prize is awarded to a Lithuanian writer or journalist for revealing the synthesis of literature and journalism (documentary prose or literary journalism), for nurturing Vaižgantas’ ideas and values in their work and their expression in literary and journalistic creation, and/or for research on J. Tumas-Vaižgantas’ personality and work, evaluating the creative output of the past two calendar years.
Laureates of the prize include Egidijus Aleksandravičius, Vytautas Bagdonas, Viktorija Daujotytė-Pakerienė, Gintautas Iešmantas, Liudvikas Jakimavičius, Loreta Jastramskienė, Aistė Kučinskienė, Juozas Kundrotas, Justinas Marcinkevičius, Alfas Pakėnas, Jurgita Žana Raškevičiūtė, Kazys Saja, Julius Sasnauskas, Laimonas Tapinas, Aldona Ruseckaitė, and others.
Vlado Braziūnas was nominated for the prize by the association “Slinktys”. This year, the prize was also proposed for: Justas Jasėnas for the essay book “Approaches” (“Kamonada”, 2025), Antanas Stanevičius for the collection of journalism “Dear Editorial!” (“Eglė” publishing house, 2024), and Darius Žiūra for the novel “Diseris” (“Kitos knygos”, 2024).
The Anykščiai District Municipality delegated Lina Mikuta and Dangira Nefienė to the Evaluation Committee, the Writers’ Union – Alvydas Katinas, Antanas Šimkus, and Regimantas Tamošaitis, the Journalists’ Union and the National Association of Journalists and Creators – Aurelija Arlauskienė, Audronė Nugaraitė, and Perpetua Dumšienė.
Vladas Braziūnas is not only one of the most prominent contemporary Lithuanian poets, admirably competing in a duel with the passing time, but also one of the most active figures in the public scene; our cultural storages are full of his works and presence. Having published several poetry books, he is a photographer and portraitist, participant in poetry events and festivals, editor of various publications, described by Prof. V. Daujotytė as a “master of pure poetic fabric.”
“Time is Near. Philotopic Patches” is the author’s first prose book. According to the publisher, poet Juozas Žitkauskas, “this book is exceptional not only in V. Braziūnas’ extensive bibliography but also in our literary field. It is an autobiographical book, but it creatively intertwines the genre of memory, documentary (diary and letter entries from various periods), and poetry not entirely typical of V. Braziūnas’ style (except for dialects and less heard vocabulary). The author constructs the work as if telling his life to himself, looking at himself from today. It is like a dialogue between two people: one remembering, the other growing through the same life, seasoned with inclusions of experiences, searches, and reflections.”
On September 19 at 1 p.m., in Vaižgantas’ native village of Malaišiai (Anykščiai district, Svėdasai eldership), the laureate will be awarded a diploma, a medal, and a prize of 1300 euros.
The event organizer is the Liudvika and Stanislovas Didžiuliai Public Library of Anykščiai District Municipality. Partners: Anykščiai District Municipality, Lithuanian Writers’ Union, Lithuanian Journalists’ Union, National Association of Journalists and Creators, association Vaižgantas Region Community; Svėdasai Eldership; Anykščiai S. Darius and S. Girėnas 901st Riflemen Company. Sponsor: Anykščiai District Municipality. Information sponsor: “Anykšta.”
Read more The best competitions in the field of military sports: what makes the military pentathlon special?
