Aivaras Veiknys

- Lithuania -

Aivaras Veiknys (b. 9 of January 1983 in Elektrėnai). Studied Real Estate Management in Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. His first book R aktai (Keys) was published in 2007.

Worked as a journalist in Lithuanian daily "Respublika", has been in Afghanistan and prepared reportage from there.

Aivaras was awarded twise in Lithuanian Poetry Festival "Poetry Spring"  in 2008 and 2010 as young emergent poet. Cultural Press willingly is publishing his poetry from 2008, literature critics are very positive about his poetry.

Aivaras is a coorganizer of a Festival "Literatūrinės Vilniaus slinktys" (Literary slide of Vilnius) and he is a compiler or three Anthologies of this Festival (2011-2013).

His second book "Paukštuko liudijimai" was published in 2014 and was awarded with prestigious “The Young Yotvingian prize” as a best young poet’s book.


Aivaras Veiknys (b. 1983 in Elektrėnai). Poet and journalist. Studied Real Estate Management in Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. Worked as a journalist in Lithuanian daily newspaper "Respublika", has been in Afghanistan and prepared reportage from there. Such short facts from his biography as Aivaras is not the youngest of five Lithuanian poets but with the shortest experience in writing.

 

Aivaras started to write his poetry in school. First his poems appeared in students book "Gyvenimo labirintais" (Labyrinths of life). His first book R aktai (Keys – the name of the book is a words’ game: "Raktai" means keys and aktai means acts. When asked why R aktai he explained that poems are Acts of writing: “Poem is a very intimate communication with world. Sometimes it’s pleasant, sometimes it hurts) was published in 2007. His first book was not the debut what poet can dream about. Aivaras himself was upset because of it. He tells that poems were not good in this book. "I felt like a lyrical subject from Hermann Hesse book "Unterm Rad" (Beneath the Wheel) – everything was so obscure around me". Nevertheless he didn’t stop to write and to offer his poems for different festivals and cultural press.

 

He participated in "Readings of young poets" and was awarded twice in Lithuanian Poetry Festival "Poetry Spring" in 2008 and 2010 as young emergent poet.

 

Cultural Press willingly started publishing his poetry from 2008, and literature critics were very positive about his poetry. 2008 year can be considered as a break point as Aivaras started to participate in different Festivals as participant of main readings. This is a way how he started to prepare for his second poetry book.

 

His second book "Paukštuko liudijimai" (Testimonies by little bird) was published in 2014. But he prepared for the book for much longer time. It was no surprising that it was awarded with prestigious "The Young Yotvingian prize" in festival "Druskininkai Poetic Fall| as a best young poet’s book of the year. The Commission appointed by board of public organization Druskininkai Poetic Fall read all new books and then decide about The Yotvingian and The Young Yotvingian prize prize for the best book of the year. The Yotvingian prize is one of the most important prizes for Lithuanian poets.  It’s eveluation of their work. And the Young Yotvingian prize obligates a poet – this means that we do expect more in a future.

 

The book Testimonies by little bird was edited by one of the mostly known Lithuanian poet Aidas Marčėnas. He wrote about Aivaras: "He is a poet. He is clinging to life with his poems. Language is working its job in his poetry and this means that we are talking about a real poet". Not so many poets could hear words like that so this means much. This was a main reason for commission to give The Young Yotvingian prize for Aivaras.

 

The presentation of his new book was held only after this important awarding so many poetry readers knew Aivaras and presentation was crowded. Aivaras is perfect poetry reader for Lithuanian auditory. He speaks clearly and he knows how to talk to people listening to him. Social motives in his poetry are important as it is in all contemporary Lithuanian poetry. Young poets are active socially, they are brave and confident, they meet their readers in libraries, schools and this is why they go forward.

 

Aivaras is a coorganizer of a Festival "Literatūrinės Vilniaus slinktys" (Literary slide of Vilnius) and he is a compiler or three Anthologies of this Festival (2011-2013). It’s important to tell that this Festival is a new phenomenon for Lithuanian poetry and especially young poets. We have two big international poetry Festivals – Poetry Spring and Druskininkai poetic Fall. This new festival rises new young poets and it can be as important as those two festivals are for Lithuanian poetry readers.