A Pranger Festival stall in front of the Ana's Gallery on the Rogaška Slatina promenade, 2015
The festival is named after the "pranger", a medieval pillory or public humiliation device which was set up in the centre of villages in this region, since the festival's concept is to disclose the literary word to the public, from literary critics, theoreticians and translators, to readers and other writers. Meetings, panel discussions and readings of poetry are organised during the five-day event. On this occasion the Slovene Writers’ Association bestows an annual Stritar Award to the most promising literary critic. As of 2018, the main part of the festival is complemented by an international edition in autumn.
In Autumn 2019 the Translation Pranger Festival was launched in Maribor.
Programme
Nine Slovene poets, three critics and three translators of Slovene poetry are invited to participate at the festival. Nine collections of poetry published in the previous year are chosen by three guest critics, examined and discussed. These critical analyses of select poetry collections are then published in the newspaper Večer.
Every year a different country and its language, into which Slovene poetry is translated, is put to the forefront (Portuguese in 2016, Spanish in 2015 and the Romansh (Switzerland) in 2014).
In cooperation with the Slovene Writers’ Association distinguished guests from the selected country are invited to take part in the events of the festival. The confrontation of authors, translators and critics allows for new and varied perspectives on poetry and forms the very heart of the event.
Critics discussion at Ana's Gallery in Rogaška Slatina, with Marjetka Krapež, Tanja Petrič, Lidija Gačnik Gombač and Marcello Potocco, Pranger Festival, 2015
ELA Programme for Children
In addition to panel discussions and meetings, the festival is further enhanced by round tables on topical issues and translations, translation workshops and ELA, a creative afternoon for children and young people, named after Ela Peroci, a renowned Slovene writer of children literature. Young and budding artists are invited to participate in literary and art competitions and in creative workshops. The ELA programme is accompanied by theatrical performances.
Youngsters read the Pranger poets' work at the Klub Menza pri koritu, Pranger Festival 2015
Partners
Over the past few years, Pranger is cooperating with another poetry festival, the Ljubljana based Young Rhymes Festival that takes place at Klub Menza pri koritu. The latter hosts a part of the Pranger programme, which has also one another Ljubljana outpost, the Trubar Literature House.