Miladinov Brothers

Vera Čejkovska

Macedonian poet, physicist, essayist and translator. Born in 1954, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. Received her B. Sc. (physics) from the Sts Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje in 1979, her M. Sc. From the University of Zagreb, Republic of Croatia, in 1990, and her D. Sc. From the Sts Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje in 2005. Lecturer at the Sts Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Seismological Observatory. Member of the Macedonian P.E.N. Centre, the Macedonian Writers’ Association, the Society of Physicists of the Republic of Macedonia and the Macedonian Association of Engineers in Physics. Former secretary of the Macedonian P.E.N. Centre (2006 – 2008). Former member of the editorial board of The Macedonian P.E.N. Review (1996 – 2000, 2006 – 2009: editor-in-chief). Former member of the editorial board of Stožer – a magazine of the Macedonian Writers’ Association (1998 – 2000, 2002 – 2004). Author of seven poetry books, winner of three national poetry awards. Her poems have been translated into fifteen languages and included in anthologies and selections of Macedonian poetry, published in the Republic of Macedonia and abroad. She has participated in many domestic and foreign poetry festivals and manifestations. A considerable number of Macedonian critics issued more than thirty reviews on her poetry, appraising it from its very beginnings as “”radically innovative in relation to the rest of the Macedonian poetry”” and denoting it as “”quantum poetry””, “”noetics-and-poetics”” or “”holographic poetry”” (Georgi Stardelov), “”a new sensibility”” (Milan Gjurčinov, Mateja Matevski), “”poetics of restructuring”” (Kata Ќulavkova)… Her scientific publications (in Macedonian or English) include monographs, papers and encyclopedic articles in seismology. Beside, she regularly contributes to various journals and magazines with essays and translations from English, Russian, Serbian and Bulgarian.

Vesna Acevska

She was born in Skopje on 10 November 1952 - a poet, short story writer and translator. She graduated from the Faculty of Philology in Skopje. She works for the newspaper Republika, and since 1992 she has been working as a lecturer in the Institute for National History in Skopje. She is a member of teh Writers’ Association of Macedonian since 1991. She works as a translator, too, and she has translated to Finnish epic poem “Kalevala”, which brought her the award for translation “Grigor Prlichev” (2000). In her verses Acevska opposes the tradition of female singing and feminised lyrism where a certain confessional and subjective intonation dominates. Works: Rehearsals (1985), Cliff to jump (1991), Anchor for Noah (1994), Mess in the Mirror (1996); novels: Labyrinth (1993) and Steps in the Greenery (1994).

Risto Lazarov

He was born in Stip on 3 October 1949. He is a poet, critic and translator. He is Manager of the TV house of Telma in Skopje. Graduated from the Faculty of Philology in Skopje. He has worked as a journalist in many sections. He was a one-term manager of the agency TANYUG. He is a member of the Macedonian P.E.N. centre and since 1972 a member of the Writers’Association of Macedonia. Works: poetry: A night bird in the park (1972), Jana (1980), Frightful Giggling (1982), Drops of sour truth (1985), Summer over the ocean (1988), Boiling point (1990), Hardly trustworthy (1993), Siljan the Stork Flies Over Macedonia Once Again (1995), A History of Illness (in Russian, 1996), Reality (selection, 1996), Heracles (1999), Columbus (2000), Three for card-game (2001), The Unspoken One (2003), Czech Longing (2006), poetry for children: Gorjan in Dojran (1988) and I set off from Bitola (1990). He is also an author of books on socio-political comments – First person singular (interviews) and Page after page.

Bratislav Taskovski

He was born in Skopje, 1960 - a poet, short stiry writer, editor, journalist, editor-in-chief of “Makedosnko Delo” and editor in the the literary monthly review “AKT” and “Forum Plus”. He studied journalism at the University Ss Cyril and Methodius in Skopje. He was a President of the Board of the international poetry manifestation Struga Poetry Evenings. Works: Fingers in Clouds “1987), Bulls in my Veins (1989), Dangerous Paper (1991), The Angel and the Woman - Muse (1994), Demonica, My Chinese Sword (2001), The Afternoon on an Optimist (2003), Poems from the Last Century (2004), Bare Land (2005), The Great Love Song (2006).

Petar T. Boshkovski

Petko Dabeski

He was born in the village of Volkovija, Tetovo on 15 October 1939. He was an electro-engineer, poet, anthologist and a public figure. He completed high school and obtained a BSc degree at the Electrotechnical Faculty of Belgrade. He has worked on planning, developing and exploatation of high-voltage switchgear installations and hydroelectric plants. He was President of the Municipality Assembly of Tetovo. His for first poems were published in 1955. Works: The Third Move, Skopje, 1982; Free Kick, Skopje, 1983; The Fourth Coordinate, Skopje, 1989, The Bride’s Chest, Skopje, 1991; Miniatures, Skopje, 1996; Outside the Experience, Skopje, 1996; Things Above the Words, Skopje, 1997; Guardians of the Fortress, Skopje, 1998; Cover of Words, Skopje, 1999, All is Haiku, Skopje, 1999 (Haiku poetry); Naiveties, Skopje, 2001 (prose poems); Caprice for Lyre and Bagpipe, Skopje, 2002; Anthology of the Macedonian Haiku Poetry, Skopje, 2003; Sheaf of Parables, Skopje, 2004.

Eftim Kletnikov

Eftim Kletnikov (Negrevo, 6 November 1946) is a poet, essay writer, critic, translator (Pushkin, Lermontov, Rassin, Valeriy). He graduated at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje. He was a Managin Director of SPE. “In Kletnikov’s poetry”-writes V. Uroshevic, “there is much admiration, festivity, celebration of the glitter and shine, but behind that abundance of light and hymnous emotions there could be always felt the dark premonition, a certain escalating allusion of the darkness. Works: Blue whirlpool (Sk, 1977), Lights and Twilights (Sk, 1978), The eye of the dark one (Sk, 1980), Poems for Ognen (Sk,1983), Roe and Wing (Sk, 1984), Voices (Sk,1987), The three - eyed one (Sk,1989), Instants (Sk,1992), A man and a woman facing the stars (Sk,1994), The origin of light (Sk,1995), Troy (Sk,1996), This cosmic draught etc. He is an author of books of essays and criticism Orion (Sk, 1986) and Kernel; In the Search for the Whole, as well as several Anthologies of the Macedonian poetry. He has been included in many anthologies of the Contemporary Macedonian poetry.

Jovan Koteski

Born on 14 January 1932 in the village of Prisovjani, Struga. Died on 12 July, 2001. Finished secondary education. Worked as a journalist with "Nova Makedonija”. Was President of the Council of the Struga Poetry Evenings Festival. Member of the Macedonian P.E.N. Centre. Member of the Macedonian Writers’ Association since 1958. Works: A smile before dawn (1958), Land and Passion (1958), Evil times (1963), Heaviness (1965), Peplosija (1966), Shadows (1972), Green Gates (1975), Heraklea (1978), Sea-boards (1981), Wakes and Dreams (1982), A Chandelier (1983), Fruits (1984), A Title Deed (1985), Live fire (1990), Grindstone of the Sun (1990), Shivers (1991), A mouse with binoculars (poetry for children, 1991), A plough handle (1992), Evil Times (1992), A Cradle (1994), Loneliness (1994), Festivity (bibliographical edition - manuscript, 1995), A Searcher (narrative poem, 1995), A Lattice (1996), Machine-gun Fire (2000).

Svetlana Hristova – Jocic

She was born in Resen on 27 February 1941. She is a poet, prose writer, children literature writer and essay writer. After the completion fo primary school and School of Pedagogy in Bitola, she graduated from the Department for Pedagogy at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje (1967) and, after four-year working as a teacher in the villages around Ohrid she worked as a Pedagogistat the Children Diseases Clynic at the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje (1960-1970), and from then unil her retiring she worked as a journalist in the Educational Programme of Radio Skopje (1970-1995). She was a one-time secretary and president of the Macedonian Writers' Association and a member of the Macedonian P.E.N. Centre. Founder and editor-in-chief of the review "Stozer"and founder of the poetry festival “Praznik na Lipite” 1996. She is the o-founder and President of the International Manifestation "Macedonian Spiritual Shelters” (1999), and editor-in chief of her messenger “Portal” (since 2000). She has taken part in many poetry manifestation in Macedonia and aborad. Works: poetry: Clay bowl (1970), The hidden chest (1974), The azure (1980), Ea (1984), Conveption (1990), Poetry Constitution (1992), Solitary Confinement (1993), S. The Immortal (1996), Great Pray (2000); children poetry: Iron Ring for a Swing (1981); prose: Strovishte (1994); prose for youth: The Last Battle (1980), The Macedonian Empress (1992); The Harp Player (1993); Krsta and the Beads (2003); The Macedonian Empress and the Pearl (2004); books of criticism and essays: Sait from a Tripode (2005); 111 Questions for Luan Starova (1998); selections: Duchnica (1993), Make One Miracle (2008); anthologies: The Sun in the Macedonian Poetry (2003), 100 Less One Poem (2006); Aleksandar of Macedonia in the study and consciousness of the descendants (2008).

Ante Popovski

He was born in Lazaropole on 3 July 1931 and died in Skopje on 1 October 2003. He was a poet, essayist, translator, publicist, academic. He finished primary school in his birthplace, secondary school i Bitola and Faculty of Medicine in Skopje, where he got a job as an assistant. He worked as a doctor in Debar for a while, but from 1955, since his first poetry book Reflections was published, he left the medicine and totally devoted to poetry. He was a member of Writers’ Association of Macedonia (1956) and a member of the Executive Council of Macedonia; a managing director of the newspaper Nova Makedonija and Vardarfilm in Skopje; vice-president of the Commission for foreign cultural relations; President of the Writers’ Association of Macedonia (two terms) and a President of the Council of SPE (1966/67 and 1978/79). He was elected a regular member of MASA on 10 October 2000 and was a member of the World Poetry Academy (2002). He translated many eminent authors from the Balkan and Europe from various languages. One of his translated works is the Biblical Song of the Songs. He is included in all the Anthologies of the Macedonian poetry, as well as in the Anthology of the World Poetry. His poetry has been translated in many world languages. He is one of the most important Macedonian poetry writers. A poet of the epos and epopees, of the distressing Macedonian and Old Slavic laments and elegies, a poet of the Macedonian secred words and kin words, of the mythological poetic expression rooted in the Eastern, Byzantine and Christian Macedonian poetry tradition. Macedonia and its tragic historical fate are in the core of his poetry. He elevated it to a level of a myth. He is a winner of many high national and intrenational awards and recognitions. Works: Reflections (poetry, 1955); The Vardar (poetry,1958), Samuil (poetry,1963), Insubordination (poetry,1964), Stony (poetry, 1972), Secret Words (poetry, 1975), Love words (poetry, 1980), A familyTtree (poetry,1981), Blue Poem (poetry,1984), A Voice of the Past (a publication of literary - historical and political nature, 1986), Unnamed (poetry, 1988), Fettered Time (articles and commentaries, 1991), Between Life and Omens (essays, 1991), Providence (poetry, 1995), The Eye, Lights (essays, 1996), Holy Poem (2001), Two Silences (2003). He is a compiler of the anthologiey “The Holy Land of the Word” (an anthology of Yiddish poetry, 1995) and “Orpheus and Jesus”: biblical motifs in contemporary Macedonian poetry (2000).

Petre Bakevski

He was born in Kavadarci on 5 January 1947. He was a poet, novelist, short story writer, editor, theatre critic. He has worked as a journalist, theatre critic and editor. He was editor of the Culture section of the newspaper Vecher and manager and editor-in-chief of the Publishing house “Detska Radost” within Nova Makedonija. He was an editor in the newspaper Makedonia Denes. He is a member of the Macedonian Writers' Association. He was a one-time President of the Board of the Struga Poetry Evenings Festival. Works: Road to Summer (poetry, 1972), Landlover (poetry, 1975), Peacock’s cry (poetry, 1982), Opening Nights (theatre criticism, 1983) Torn map (poetry, 1984), Face of time (poetry, 1985), Faces and masks (theatre criticism, 1988), Glance dizzy with insomnia (poetry, 1990), Dream’s shadow (poetry, 1990), Terra Magica (poetry, 1991), Live stars (poetry, 1992), Through the golden ring of the sun (poetry, 1994) In the shadow of the sword (poetry, 1994), Shivers (poetry, 1995), Hundred Sonnets (1997), Babylon (libretto for symphonic poem, 1997) Elegies (1998), Ballads (1999), Charred logs (novellas, 2000) Red Wind (2001), Weary Clouds (2002), Gapped Stone (2002), Grief (notes, 2003), My Itaca (poetry, 2003), One Crow (short stories,2002), Two Crows (short stories,2002), Flock (novelas, 2003), Black Lamb, Wild Balkan (novel, 2004). He is an author of several plays.

Rade Siljan

He was born in Zhvan on 16 April 1950. He is a poet, essay writer, critic, anthologist, textbook writer, translatior, editor. He graduated from the Faculty of Philology at the University Ss Cyrial and Methodius in Skopje. He worked as a journalist, and later on as an editor in Radio Skopje. He was a manager of the publishing house “Makedonska kniga” and founder and manager of the publishing house “Matica Makedonska” from Skopje. He is complier to many anthologies of Macedonian poetry and prose. He has been the President of the Writers’ Association of Macedonian since 2008. Works: Third image of time (poetry, 1975), Shadows of reality (poetry, 1980), A patched up shape (criticism and essays, 1986), Dialogue with time (criticism and essays, 1988), A messenger (poetry, 1989), Walling-up the shadow (poetry, 1990), The word's magic (criticism and essays, 1991), Literary co-ordinates (criticism and essays, 1999), Supplements to teaching literature in five volumes (criticism, 2000), Voice of Ancestors, poetry, 2001; Romantism, study in collaboration with P. Gilevski, 2003; Draught in the fatherland, poetry selection, 2004; Bitter Vilayet, poetry, 2006.

Slavko Janevski

Slavko Janevski (Skopje, 11 January 1920 - Skopje,30 January 2000), a poet,short story writer, novelist, essay writer, painter. He took up literature and painting from very early age. He was a participant in the National Liberation War. As a member of the Third Macedonian Assault Brigade, he writes the verses Blood-stained Thread, published immediately after the Liberation. Since January 1945 he was the editor of the first periodic publication for children in Macedonian “Pioner”. He was a Chief editor of the literature magazines “Nov Den”, “Sovremenost” and “Horizont” and of the humoristic-satyrical magazine “Osten”. He spent a great part of his life as aan editor in the publishing houses “Koco Racin”, “Makedonska Kniga” and “Nasha Kniga”. He was one of the founders of the Writers’ Association of Macedonia (1947) and its President; a President of the Board of Struga Poetry Evenings and Racin’s Meetings, as well as one ofthe founders of MASA. His works have been translated in all the Yugoslav and many other world languages. He has been included in Macedonian, European and world anthologies. He was the author of the first novel and the first novella in the Macedonian literature and of oneof the biggest opuses in the Macedonian literature. In his poetry work, his most significant work is The Gospel according to Peyo the Smart, in the literature for children the triology Puppy Paff (Puppy Paff in the town of Sumsul, Puppy Paff watches from the space, and Puppy Paff the master of Dreams); in his prose writings his most significant work is the novel work Kukulino, in which (in 10 volumes) he follows the historic pilgrimage of the tribe of Kerubin through whole 14 centuries, shown in a chaos of vices and despair, in disorder and disunion, with boundaries of misunderstandings and interpersonal confrontation. In his opus there are erected history and myth, reality and fiction. He was an author of two screenplays and art exhibitions. He was a winner of high national, Yugoslav and world awards and recognitions in the area of literature and film. Works: The Blood-stained thread (poetry, 1945), The railway track of youth (with Aco Sopov, poetry,1946), Pioneers, Boys and Girls, little insects and Forest Beasts (poetry for children, 1946), Singing Letters (poetry for children, 1946), A Million Martyrs (epic poem for children, 1948), Poems (1950), The street (a story, 1950), The Aegean gunpowder tale (poetry for children, 1950), Lyric (1951), The Village beyond the Seven Ash-trees (novel, 1952), Sugar story (a story for children, 1952), Clowns and People (short stories, 1956), The two Marias (novel, 1956), and stone (poetry, 1957), The Sleep-walker (novel, 1959), The Shadow of Karamba Baramba (poetry for children, 1959), Martians and Mice (poetry for children, 1959), Bitter Legends (travelogue, 1962), Both Pain and Rage (novel, 1964), Trukks, (a new version of the novel The village beyond the seven ash-trees, 1965), The Gospel according to Peyo the Smart (poetry, 1966), Black and Yellow (poetry for children, 1967), Kainavelia (poetry, 1968), The stubborn ones (novel, 1970), Sultry days (short stories, 1972), The Chest (short stories, 1976), The Chained Apple (poetry, 1979), Astropeus (poetry, 1979), Kites (poetry, 1983), The Miracles of Awfulness - a trilogy made up of: The Legions of St. Adonis, Dog's Crucifix and Waiting for the plague (1984), The nine Centuries of the Cherub (novel, 1986), Dog's Woods (poetry, 1988), Miracle Workers (novel, 1988), Roulette of seven numbers (novel, 1989), Puppy Paff (prose in verses for children, 1992), Behind the secret door (short stories, 1993), The Palette of Damnation (poetry, 1995), The continent of Kukulino (prose, 1996), Puppy Paff in the town of Sumsul (book for children 1996), Puppy Paff watches from the space (1996), Puppy Paff the master of Dreams (1996), While the Moles were sleeping (poetry, 1998).Posthumous publishings: The Dump (novel, 2000), Fifth season (short stories, 2001), Imained Fortress (poetry, 2002), and Galery and UniverseI (book of essays, reviews, polemics).

Liljana Dirjan

Liljana Dirjan was born in 1953 in Skopje. She graduated at the Faculty of Philology. Sha was on a study visit in Paris, as a grantee of the French government and the Gulbenkian Foundation. She published the following poetry books: Natural Occurence (Misla, 1980), Live Measire (Nasha Kniga, 1985), Wormwood Field (Misla, 1989), "Champ d'abisinthe" (in French), 1996, at the publishing house Est/Quest Internationales, Paris and Heavy Silk (Matica Makedonska, 1997). She is the winner of the awards “Studentski Zbor” (1980_ and Miladinov Brothers (1985). She has been translated in many languages and included in many anthologies of the contemporary Macedonian poetry. She is one of the founders and a member of the Independent Writers of Macedonia.

Todor Chalovski

Todor Chalovski – poet, literary critic, essayist, translator. Born on 23 August 1945 in Gostivar. Attended elementary school in Galicnik, high school in Skopje and Gostivar. Graduated from the Faculty of Philology at the “Ss.Cyril and Methodius” University in Skopje. Worked as a journalist at a number of newspapers, “Studentski zbor”, “Vecer”, “Makedonija”, with Radio Skopje, editor of the Cultural Desk for culture, literature and art; deputy editor-in-chief of Radio 2000. Currently editor-commentator of Macedonian Radio. Edited the journal “Belezi” and “Razgledi”. He was editor-in-chief of the Macedonian Writers’ Association review “Stozer” (member since1969). He was secretary and president of the Macedonian Writers’ Association, a member on the Board of the Struga Poetry Evenings Festival, founder of the literary colony in Galichnik, President of the Assembly of the Macedonian Writers’ Association, a member of the Macedonian P.E.N. centre. Works: Night in which you are not (poetry, 1969), Nocturnal book of hours (poetry, 1971), The Sirdar’s Ailments (poetry, 1981), The core (poetry, 1984), Threshold (poetry, 1988), Magic boundaries (poetry, 1989), Proniz (poetry, 1994), Gifts (poetry, 1994), Galica (poetry, 1996), Awake House (poetry, 1998), Poems (1998), Critical views (essays and criticism, 1998), Supportive voice (poetry, 2000), Dawn (poetry, 2002). Co-author of the publication “Literaturen pregled” (notes and reviews, 1980-1985).

Adem Gajtani

Adem Abduramani Gajtani (Poduevo,Kosovo,Yugoslavia, 21 August 1935 - Skopje, 19 March 1982) - poet and translator. He graduated at the Faculty of Law in Skopje (1961). He practiced literature since 1955.He collaborated with the newspapers and magazines in Albanian (“Zani i Rinis” etc), he was a journalist of the newspaper “Rilindja” and editor of the cultural section of “Flaka e Vllazlrimit”. He was a member of Writers’ Association of Macedonia since 1973. He is author of many poetry collections in Albanian. He translated from Albanian in Macedonian (I. Kadare, R. Kukaj etc) and from Macedonian and Serbo-Croatian into Albanian. Among the other works, he translated in Albanian: “Desert” by Gj. Abadziev, “Paskvelija” by Z. Cingo, “Years of Insomnia” by Tome Momirovski and books with poetry selections by M. Matevski. He was a winner of Miladonov Brothers Award, posthumously (1982) for his poetry book “Swan Song”. Works: Light in the Heart (1961), Sea Shell (1966), No bird, no tree (1973), Oh, song, far away song (1973), A song in the dream (1975), From Flower to Flower (1975), Some third Time (1977), Starfish (1979), Poems (1980), Swan-song (1982). Translations: Verses and stories by writers of Albanian nationality in Macedonia (Skopje, 1973, with Aleksandar Popovski); You, Song, You distant Song (Skopje, 1973 with Gane Todorovski).

Milovan Stefanovski

Poet, prose writer, translator. Born 26th August 1952 in Resen. Graduated from the Faculty of Philology in Skopje. Engaged in journalism. Worked with the newspapers “Nova Makedonija” and “Republica”. He also worked at the Information Ministry of R.Macedonia. From 1987-1991 worked as a lector of Macedonian at the Universities of Kraiowa (Romania) and Istanbul (Turkey). One-time president of the Macedonian Writers’ Association. Member of the Macedonian Writers’ Association since 1980. Works: A wall in front of infinity (poetry, 1978), A guard by the Vardar (poetry, 1984), Temporary agenda (poetry, 1991), Falling down is flying too (novel, 1994), Cellar stairs (short stories, 2000), The flight of the of the mythical bird (poetry, 2000). He has won numerous awards.

Atanas Vangelov

He was born in Bogdanci, Gevgjelia on 6 February 1946, a writer, poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, essay writer, translator, editor, scholar, university professor of Theory of Literature. He obtained his BA, MA and PhD diploma at the Faculty of Philology in Skopje, at the Department of Yugoslavistics. His MA thesis was named “Artism in the Contemporary Macedonian Literature” (1977) while his PhD thesis is named “The Semantic Figures in the Macedonian Folk Poetry” (1982). He works at the Faculty of Philology in Skopje as a full-time professor of Theory of Literature. He also gives lectures in the following subjects: New Croatian Literature, Stylistics, Stylistics and Rhetorics and History of the Yugoslav Literatures. He has been an Associate Dean and a Dean at the Faculty of Philology in Skopje; he has been a President of the Council of Struga Poetry Evenings and a member of the National Assembly of RM (1994-1998), in which time he was a member of the Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strazburg. He was an ambassador of RM in Hungary since 2004. He has been a member of Writers’ Association of Macedonia since 1967. He has visited France many times during his study visits and as a lecturer of Macedonian Language and Literature at the Paris University. For his contribution to the promotion of the French culture in RM he has been honoured (1995) with the decoration “Academic Palm”. Works: The Land of the Flower (poetry, 1966), Translating the Mountain (poetry, 1970), Dwelling (poetry, 1974), Sights and apparitions (poetry, 1977), Poems (1978), Strictly confidential (poetry, 1985), Traces, poetry 1991; A voice to the voiceless (poem, 1994), Sounds and imprints (poetry, selection, 1995), Waterfall (poetry, 1998), Wild Elation (novel, 2002); Mister Porfirie (TV play 1971), Indefinite personal pronouns (play, 1986), Artism in Contemporary Macedonian poetry (study, 1978), Literary studies (1983), Sieve (criticism, 1985 ), Semantic figures in Macedonian Folk Lyrics (study, 1987), The Plagiarism of Bozin Pavlovski (literature polemics, 1998 Microreadings, Expression and Reality (literature polemics, 1993), Morphology of bo(l)shevism (literature polemics, 1998), Pro and con macedonisms (criticism, 1998), Macedonian Writers, Critical Portraits (2004). Translated works: Cvetan Todorov, Poetics (1990); Opposite Extremity (2000), Mis-born Man (2001), Duties and Delights (2004), Encyclopedian Dictionary of the Language Studies by Dikro and Cvetan Todorov (1994).

Aco Shopov

Aco Shopov, (Shtip,20 December 1923 - Skopje, 20 April 1982) - soldier, poet, translator, essay writer, first editor of Mlad Borec, editor of many literature magazines in Macedonia, ambassador in Senegal (1972-1976), president of the ex-Association of Literature Translators of Yugoslavia. He was a member of the Macedonian P.E.N. centre, as well as of Writers’ Association of Macedonia since its foundation (1947). He is one of the most deserving that the Macedonian poetry in a relatively short time ovarcame the collectivistic and sociorealistic tones. With his intimism, he opened the doors to the Macedonian poetry expression towards modernism. Critics organize his poetry into four circles: the first one (1944-1950), that starts with his first poetry book Poems, and ends with On Gramos; the second one consisted of his work outlined with his two collections of poetry Verses about Pain and Joy (1952) and Wind Carries a Nice Weather (1957), ; the third circle is mainly in the sign of his two most significant poetry collections Non-Existence (1963), and Ashes Fortune-Teller (1970), whereas the fourth circle is marked by his two last books The Poem of the Black Woman (1976), A Tree on the Hill (1980). The book that was a turning point not only for Shopov, but also for the whole Macedonian literature in general, was the collection Verses about Pain and Joy. Namely, this book shoke the strong fortifications of the sociorealistic model of writing at the time. In that 1952, the controverse book by Shopov initiated and awoke the decade of confrontation between the realists and the modernists. They would dispute the nature of the realistic art, its popularity and the possibility, i.e. the impossibility of its revival in 20th century, the importance of acquaintance of artistic discoveries from the Western European lietratures, the global experience of the avant-gardism and modernism. The real Shopov as a poet, however, came out of his third circle. The terms “non-existence” and “black sun” from his poetry lexis still preserve their mystical powers and do not ceise being a challenge and stimulus to various critical judgements and decryptions. Works: poetry: Poems (1944), The Track of Youth (with S. Janevski, 1947), On Gramos (1950), With our Hands (1950) Verses about Pain and Joy (1952), Merge into the Silence (1955), Wind Carries a Nice Weather (1957), Non-Existence (1963), YUS-Universum (1968), Aches Fortune-Teller (1970), The Poem of the Black Woman (1976), A Tree on the Hill (1980).

Gane Todorovski

Born on Skopje, 11 May 1929, he died in his birth town on 22 May 2010, a poet, translator, essay writer, literature critic and historian, publicist, anthologist, culturologist, editor, folklorist, theatrologist, screenwriter, university professor, academic, ambassador. He studied at the Faculty of Philosophy of Skopje, where he graduated at the department of Yugoslav literatures (1951). Before and during his studies he worked as a journalist. He spent his whole adult life as a lecturer at the Faculty of Philology in Skopje, under the University Ss Cyril and Methodius. (1954-1992). His doctoral thesis topic was “Veda Slovena and her Mystificators” (1965). At the Faculty of Philology he taught the subjects New Croatian Literature and Macedonian Literature in the 19th century. He was a member of the Writers’ Association of Macedonia since 1951. He was a two-term secretary and President of Writers’ Association of Macedonia. He was a member of the Macedonian P.E.N. centre. He was one of the founders of the Council of Struga Poetry Evenings (1971/72), and the first President of MAAK (Movement for All Macedonian Action ) (1990-1991). He was the first ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia in the Russian Federation (1994-1998). He was a member of MASA since 1997. He was an author of over 220 book titles in the field of poetry, cirticism, essay writing, travelogue, literature writings, editorial, historiography, culturology, translation, anthology-making. He belongs to the leading poetry generation of authors who promoted the Contemporary Macedonian literature in the world. He was translated in 24 separate editions of his books (mainly poetry and essays) in many countries in the world (in Albanian, English, Bulgarian, Vlach, Greek, Esperanto, Chinese, Roma, Russian, Serbian, Turkish, Croatian, Chech and Swedish). He personally, as a poetry and prose translator, published over 100 separate editions by authors who wrote in Albanian, English, Bulgarian, Greek, Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian, Turkish, Chech, Polish and Ukrainian. He edited and published collections and treatises about K. Miladinov, Rajko Zhinzifov, Marko Tsepenkov, Koco Racin, Grigir Prlichev, Atanas Razdolov, Dimo Hadzi Dimov, Gjorche Petrov, Dimitar Talev, Nikola Vaptsarov, Anton Popov, Mihail Smatrakalev, Angjelko Krstic and others. He published numerous anthologies of the Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Russian and Albanian poetry in Macedonian. As an outstanding, leading and foremost creational figure of the Macedonian literature in the second half of the 20th century, whose works superstitiously and superiorly are stretched in the area of the literature and the study of literature, he is a figure with inestimable missionary contribution in the contemporary history of Macedonia, with a multilayered range of creative, scientific and cultural interests; a cultural driving force of important processes in the contemporary literature, cultural, scientific and national promotion of Macedonia. Works: I Poetry collections: In the mornings (1951), Disturbing sounds (1953), Peaceful step (1956), Rainbow (1960), Apotheosis of the working day (1964), Bitter sips of disquiet (1970), A rather ugly day (1974), The people of Skopje (1981), Trouble, Treachery, Sleeplessness (1987), The unattainable (1995), Plower or Warrior (2003) and Lighter, Flint and Tinder (2005). II Literature writings: Predecessors of Misirkov (1968), A treatise on those who love the Sun (1974), Veda Slovena (1979), Antun Gustav Matosh (1979), Magoc Contest (1979), Further from enthusiasm, closer to grief (1983), With a word to the word (1985), An expedition to Helicon (1987), Inevitable Curiosities (1992), Word and Insubordination (1993); The Exciting Breath of Fatherland (1987), Signals to the Progeny (1992), Speeches about Weekdays (1995), Protection of Destiny, (1995), Touches (2000), Notches and Scratches under the Walls fo Time (2001), Book of Prlichev (2002), Book of Dzinot (2003), Touching the Untouched (2003), Book of Vaptsarov (2006), Book of Racin (2007), Pages about the Macedonophilia (1994), Kniga Nashinska si rec Slavjanska (1994); Collected works of Gane Todorovski in ten volumes (I and II Poetry, III, IV and V translations; VI and VII, Macedonian Literature on 19th cantury; VIII, IX and X), Skopje, 2007.

Blaze Koneski

Blaze Koneski (Nebregovo Village, Prilep, 19 December 1921 - Skopje, 7 December 1993) - a philologist, poet, university professor. He was the most prominent figure of the Macedonistics in the period after the Liberation of Macedonia. He was a member of the Committee for standardization of the Macedonian literary language and its most outstanding representative (complier of the greatest part of the First Macedonian Ortography book, 1945 and the extended edition of the Macedonian Ortography with a Ortographic dictionary, 1950). He was the author of the fundamental works of the Macedonian Language (grammar, dictionary, history, historic phonology). He sarted his primary school at the age of nearly six in his birthplace, in order to prevent the school from closing because of the small number of students. After finishing the first grade, he moved to Prilep, where he finishes his eight-grade primary school. Because of the closing of the General Secondary School in Prilep, he continued studying Secondary school in Kragujevac and he graduates in 1939. He joins the literature life in the Secondary School, becoming the editor of the school magazine “Podmladak”, writing poems in Serbian, just in the beginning of 1939 to make a turnover and start writing in Macedonian. His first poem in Macedonian i Letter to a Mother (by the example of the respective poem by Mayakovski). At the persuation of his friends and the wish of his parents, he continues his education at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade. Just after a single semester at the faculty, he realised that his interest wasn’t the medicine. In the summer semester of 1940 he transfered to the Faculty of Philosophy, at the Department of Slavistics, choosing a rare combinaton: Yugoslav Literature under Major A, and under major B - Russian Literature and Russian Language. Attracted by the poetry of some Polish authors (Mickiewicz, Słowacki etc.), he attends a facultative course on Polish Language. His studying in Belgrade is connected to his discovery of the folk activities of Marko Cepenkov published in the famous Bulgarian Collection of Folk Art. His introduction to this material helps him make the first draft of the Grammar of the Macedonian language and elaboration of the Prilep dialect since he was a student. A great number of these notes are used after the Liberation, in the shaping of his Grammar (1952, 1954) and the monography Prilep Dialect (1948). Starting of the World War II on the territory of Yugoslavia prevents his studying in Belgrade, so he was forced to continue his studies in Sophia. At the University they recognize his first three semesters from Belgrade and he obtains BA degree in 1944. Working on his seminar paper on the work of the reliable Salvist Dimitar Matov, he comes across significant data on the development of the Macedonian Language. Among the other things, he read the extensive review of Aleksandar Todorov - Balan on Krste Misirkov’s work Za Makedonckite Raboti. Besides his constant insisting on coming directly to this monumental work on the Macedonian peculiarity, this was not ensured to him. However, the thought of havind a deeper insight into it never abandons him. He uses the first possible opportunity after the Liberation, when the social conditions changed, to search for the book. In June 1945 he goes to Sofia, gets the book, makes some notes and immediately publishes in the daily newspapers the extensive article One Macedonian Book and in doing that he makes the first popularisation of Misirkov in Macedonia. The autumn of 1944, even before the complete liberation of the country, he is already in the temporary state and political centre of the free territory in Gorno Vranovci Village near Veles. There he is a translator, corrector and proofreader of the newspapers and other publications, there he holds lectures on the development of the Macedonian Language and its literature character to a wide auditorium of cultural and social activists. After the Liberation Koneski is allocated a proofreader of the MacedonianTheatre: he translates shorter texts for plays and the piece Plato Krechet by Aleksandar Korneychuk, which marked the working of the Drama on MNT on 3 April 1945 with a play; he also writes the one-act play Hungry Hen Dreams of Millet, which was shown at the theatre on the New Year’s Eve of 1945. He exposes to the wider public in May 1945 with his lecture The Macedonian Literature and the Macedonian Standard language at the National University in Skopje. Sinse spring 1945 he works in the Ministry of Education, he takes part in many activities in the area of education and culture, as well as in the founding of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje. He is one of the founders of the Faculty of Philosophy (1946, of the Institute for Macedonian Language “Krste Misirkov” (1953), of MASA (1967, First President), the Writers’ Association of Macedonia(1947, First President), of the Association (Union) for Macedonian Language and Literature (1954), of the Macedonian Slavistics Committee (1963), of the magazine “Macedonian Language” (1950, First Chief Editor) etc. He was a Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy (Philology) in Skopje, Chancellor of the University Ss Cyril and Methodius in Skopje (1958-1960). He was also a member of the Academies of Science and Arts of Croatia (1962), Serbia (1963), Slovenia (1963), Boznia and Herzegovina (1969), and later on of Vojvodina and Montenegro, as well as of Austria and Poland. He was a honorary Doctor of the Universities of Chicago (1968), Wroclaw (1970), as well as the University Ss Cyril and Methodius in Skopje. He won the Awards of Njegosh and Herder, the AVNOJ Award, “Skender Kulenovic”, Writers’ Association of USSR etc. The Macedonian scientific and cultural public showed its respect towards the name and work of Koneski by naming the Faculty of Philology in Skopje by his name and by setting up the Foundation for Macedonian Language “Nebregovo”. Works: A Grammar of the Macedonian Literary Language (I 1952, II 1954), Dictionary of the Macedonian Language (I 1961, II 1965, III 1966, editor), History of the Macedonian language (1965), Historical Phonology of the Macedonian Language (Heilderberg, 1983 in English; Skopje, 2001 in Macedonian). He is author of many other imporatnt works: Macedonian Textbooks of 19th Century- An article on the History of the Macedonian Revival (1949), Prilep Dialect (1949), Macedonian Literature in 19th century - Brief review and texts (1950), On the Mecedonian Standard Language (1952), The Apostle of Vranesnica (1956), The Language of the Macedonian Folk Poetry (1971), Speeches and Essays (1972), The Macedonian 19th century. Linguistic, literary and historic texts (1986), Images and Themes (1987), Macedonian places and names (1991). He also wrote the poetry books: Land and Love (1948), Poems (1953), The Embroideress (1955), Sterna (1966), Hand-shaking (1969), Poems Old and New (1979), The Fountains (1984), Collected Poems (1987), Meeting in Heaven (1988), Church (1988), Golden Peak (1989), Seizmograph (1989), Black Ram (1993). He also translated the works: The Mountan Laurel by Njegosh (1947), Lyrical Intermezzo by H. Heine (1952), Othello By Shakespeare (1953), Savica’s Baptization by F. Preshern (1980), as well as poems by Aleskandar Blok, Adam Mickiewicz, Vladimir Mayakovski, Desanka Maksimovic etc.

Petre M. Andreevski

Petre M(ilanov) Andreevski (Sloeshtica Village, Demir Hisar, 25 June 1934 - Skopje, 25 September 2006) - poet, novelist, short story writer, playwright. He worked as a programme editor in Macedonian Radiotelevision for many years. He was a member of MASA from May 2000, a member of Writers’ Association of Macedonia (1964) and of Macedonian P.E.N. Centre. He wrote poetry, short stories, novels, plays and screenplays. Andreevski created something that not only changed the literature awareness at the Macedonian reader, but also altered the Macedonian critical awareness. He located his eternal preoccupation in his birthplace, but in doing that he did not become a local or regional author, because with the universalization of the local he set his birthplace the centre of the world. He had a wide readers’ audience and his prose composition is not relied on its story, but on the mere act of narration. His novels are considered to be the most read ones (as it was the case for Stale Popov’s novels), i.e. the bestsellers among the people. The novel Pirey was announced the masterpiece of the Macedonian contemporary prose by the Macedonian criticism (just in the way the collection Denicija was denoted a hymn of the cosmic love, a hymn of the woman and the fatherland and a golden book of the Macedonian modernism). He published two poetry collections for children (Scribble Riddle and Eat and Grow). Even in his poems for children, Andreevski is a poet of the metaphore and allusion, of the language play and the nostalgic meditation. WORKS: poetry collections: Knots (1960), Both on Heaven and Earth (1962), Denicija (1968), Dalni nakovalni (1971), Praises and Complaints(1975), Eternal House (1987); Lachrymatory (1999); short stories collections: The Seventh Day (1994), Years of Treason (1974), All Faces of Death (1994); novels: Pirey (1980), Locusts (1983) Nebeska Timjanovna (1988), Last Villagers (1987) and Tunnel (2003); plays: Time for Singing, Bogunemili (1984) and Bezanci (2007, posthumously)

Mile Nedelkoski

Mile Nedelkovski - poet, novelist, short story writer, playwright. Born 25th November 1935 in Prilep. Was an editor for the publishing house "Kultura”. Member of the Macedonian Writers’ Association since 1963. Works: Golden heart (poetry, 1963), Southern summer (poetry, 1964), The madman from Prespa (poem, 1965), Wind riders (poetry, 1967), Pepelasi (novel, 1968), Erreticon - eroticon (poetry, 1969), Berries (novel, 1972) The triumph of the Trojan horse (play in verses, 1974), A watchman (novel, 1982), Return to the arena of the old famous meritorious, worn-out clown and The dectruction of Olympus (dramas in verses, 1983), Sunday, a day to repent (poetry, 1984), Bitpazar stylistic exercises, there... (poetry, 1984), A window overlooking the street, The Prespa circle in red and Guardians of the tower (plays, 1985), A horseshoe of death and hope (novel, 1986), Petrafil for the eternal land (novel, 1988), Reheating yesterday’s left-overs (novel, 1988), Mirrors of shadows (poetry, 1989), The creator and the old emigrant - vendor of various fruits (novel, 1991). Logomania (essays, 1996), The holy Martyrs Day (novel, 1996).

Песна – Дрвена Песна

Песна – Куќа