Lirikonfest
Stari trg 26, SI-3320 Velenje
Phone386 (0) 3 587 0920
Organised byVelenje Literary Foundation
Frequencyannual
Festival dates9.6.2026 - 11.6.2026
Lirikonfest
From Culture.si
(Redirected from Herberstein's Literary Meeting of Slovene Writers (HLSSK))
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Mission
Lirikonfest Velenje, described as a "poetry retreat" and a "festival of lyrical and travelogue sensibility", promotes international literary collaboration, focusing on original and translated 21st-century poetry and examining the cognitive, cohesive, and critical role of literature in European society and beyond. During its first five years, it was known as the “Herbersteinian meeting of Slovenian authors with international participation.”
Programme
Lirikonfest's year-round programme encompasses over 20 productions, bringing together around a hundred Slovenian and international authors, translators, intermediaries, and other experts in contemporary literature. These are presented through original and translated contributions to the festival anthology Rp. Lirikon21, festival readings, literary roundtables, residential creative stays, and other events.
Lirikonfest's events are open to the public and include a reading culture development program with literary subscriptions (programme cycles): I Devour Books (“Požiram knjigo”; for adults and older youth), Chocolate with a Book (“Čokolada s knjigo”; for children and younger youth), and Winged Turtle Tales (“Krilata želva pripoveduje”; a selection of Slovenian travelogues).
In its own way, Lirikonfest Velenje engages every sphere through which Slovenian literature reaches its readers: introducing children's literature to the youngest; providing a platform for emerging authors; presenting the latest works of established Slovenian and international writers; hosting expert roundtable debates on contemporary themes in Slovenian and European literature; maintaining its own literary, periodical, and fiction publishing output; nurturing a reading culture; offering a rich variety of literary events; and demonstrating international literary collaboration in practice, occasionally extending its reach through tours and presentations abroad.
Awards
The Poetic Slovenia Academy has been a fixture in Velenje's cultural life since 2007 – originating on 21 March 2006, World Poetry Day, and incorporated into the Lirikonfest programme since 2008. It takes the form of a gala pan-Slovenian literary ceremony presenting five awards.
Velenjica - the Goblet of Immortality is a literary award recognising 10 years of outstanding poetry by a Slovenian author who has had a significant impact on 21st-century literature.
The International Pretnar Award is Slovenia's foremost distinction in this field, accompanied by the honorary title of Ambassador of Poetry, Slovenian Literature, and Language. Presented at the literary gathering in Velenje since 2004 and at Lirikonfest since 2008, it honours individuals – and only exceptionally pairs or groups – for significant contributions to the international profile and reach of Slovenian literature and language. The award recognises deserving cultural intermediaries, both Slovenian and foreign, who, in the spirit of Tone Pretnar (1945–1992), introduce Slovenian poetry, fine literature, language, and authors to the world.
The Lirikon’s Gold Piece is an international festival award presented by the Velenje Literary Foundation, Lirikonfest Velenje, and Rp. Lirikon21 since 2006, recognising outstanding translations of 21st-century poetry for adults into or from Slovenian, whether selected at the festival or through an open call, and subsequently published in the festival anthology Rp. Lirikon21.
The Lirikonfest’s Gold Piece is a biennial festival award for the most substantial essay on the theme of the Lirikonfest roundtable, presented since 2008.
The Winged Turtle is a pan-Slovenian literary award for the best Slovenian literary travelogue published as a book in the previous year and, since 2023, also for the best unpublished Slovenian literary travelogue selected through an open call. Established within the Lirikonfest Velenje programme in 2017, it has created a distinctive niche in the Slovenian literary landscape. Although the travelogue is gaining popularity as a genre, it has yet to achieve proper academic recognition; the award seeks to change this by championing the form and raising the profile of Slovenian travelogue writers.
See also
External links
- On Lirikonfest on the Velenje Literary Foundation website (in Slovenian)
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