Igor Marojević, the first winner of the "Brskovski Groš" award

The "Brskovski Groš" literary award was awarded Igor Marojević for the novel "Mother, Let Me Go", as part of the 6th International Literary Festival "Slova Slovenska", the festival's public relations department announced.

The literary award "Brskovski groš", which is awarded for an outstanding achievement in contemporary literature, was presented for the first time this year, and its first laureate was writer Igor Marojević for the novel "Mother, let me go". The jury that made the decision was chaired by the writer Mirko Rakočević, artistic director of the festival, and the members were also Assoc. Prof. Dr. Olga Vojicic Komatina and others Radoje Femic. The award consists of a plaque and a monetary amount of 1.000 euros.

Speaking about the significance of the award, Marojević emphasized that it is a special honor to be the first laureate of an award that is just beginning its history.

"It is one thing when a writer receives an award from an ongoing production, thereby relying on a series of laureates, and it is quite another when he is the first winner of an award, as is the case with my insignificance regarding the "Brskovski groš" award, which was awarded to me at the 6th International Literary Festival "Slova slovenska". In that sense, I can only hope that the book "Mother, let me go" offers sufficiently high parameters that could direct the aesthetic and poetic standards for future winners. So it is an extraordinary honor for me to be the first winner and the promotion of this novel in Montenegro is very important to me, because it is about a tragic family story that took place mostly in Montenegro. It is no wonder that I had my first promotion in Podgorica, then in Nikšić and now in Mojkovac. It will also be in Budva. In that sense, it is very significant for me that I received the first award in my career that comes from Montenegro", said Marojević.

The festival brought together important names in literature, music and culture from Montenegro, the region and Europe in Mojkovac. One of the central events of this year's festival was a literary evening. Milan Richter, one of the most important living Slovak writers and authors whose work belongs to the wider European literary space. Richter presented his poetry in "Poet's Valley", and the audience was also presented with an edition of his poems in Serbian, which he prepared Radomir Uljarević.

Richter emphasized that he was particularly pleased with the invitation to participate in the festival, as well as the opportunity to have his poetry presented to the audience in the Serbian language.

"I was very happy to be invited to participate in the "Slova slovenska" festival and I am especially glad that my poetry was published in Serbian and presented here in Mojkovac. The ambiance is truly extraordinary - the surrounding hills and mountains, as well as this special amphitheater stage built for the festival in "Pjesnikova dolina", give the whole event a special atmosphere. For me, the most important thing was to present my poetry. On August 7, I had the opportunity to read my poems, which were then beautifully interpreted in Serbian by Radoje Mijušković. "What I will also take away from this festival are the people - their immediacy, openness and warmth. For me, that is one of the most important values ​​of such encounters," said Richter.

The evening dedicated to the audience also attracted special attention. To Dado Topic, one of the most recognizable authors of the regional rock scene. His book "For What Life Should I Be Born" was presented at the festival, a cross-section of his decades-long creative work, and he was also presented with a lifetime achievement award.

"At the literature festival in Pjesnikova dolina, I received the award for my lifetime achievement as a rocker and poet. My book was also presented. I hope that all future winners of this award will be at the service of culture and art and that these regions will traditionally preserve the culture and art of the people of Montenegro, but also of the entire region," said Topić.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Sheyli Bonnick, singer and member of the Sounds of Boney M project, whose performance was one of the musical highlights of the festival. Her presence further enriched the international character of the event, which connected literature and music through various artistic forms.

"I am very honored to be in Montenegro for the first time and to be part of the "Slova slovenska" festival and to have had the opportunity to share music with the audience in Mojkovac in this beautiful setting. The Lifetime Achievement Award is a special recognition for me, because it comes from people who appreciate what we have been creating for decades and that music still connects generations today. I am especially glad that I performed right here, in the "Poet's Valley", where literature, poetry, music and different cultures meet. Such encounters are precious and I believe that festivals like this show how much art can connect people, regardless of borders and language," said Bonnick.

The international character of the festival was confirmed by the participation of authors from the region and Europe, so among the festival guests was a Macedonian poet Slave Đorđo Dimoski, whose participation further contributed to networking within the literary scene of the region and the affirmation of the festival as a meeting place for authors of different generations, poetics and cultural spaces.

He also presented his prose and poetry to the audience in "Poet's Valley" Radenko Stojanovic, known as Voodoo Popeye, who, with his performance and direct relationship with the audience, attracted great attention and maintained the interest of numerous visitors.

The festival ended with a concert by the ethno group "Zora" from Bar.

This year's edition of the festival was organized by the NGO "Slova slovenska" and RTV Mojkovac, under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and Media, the Ministry of Tourism, the Mojkovac Tourist Organization, the Municipality of Mojkovac and the Airport of Montenegro. The realization of the 6th International Literary Festival "Slova slovenska" was also supported by partners: "Poliex" Berane, Fabrika Tara and Panorama Marketi, whose contribution was significant for the realization of the program and the creation of conditions for Mojkovac to be a meeting place for significant names in literature, music and art during the festival days, the organizers emphasized.