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Croatian writer Monika Herceg is this year's recipient of the international Central European Initiative (CEI) award, which is given to young authors at the Vilenica International Literary Festival in Slovenia.

"Herceg has garnered a wide readership who appreciates both the lyrical beauty and the raw portrayal of social anomalies as well as the conditions of marginalized communities in her poetry. Her work resonates deeply on both a personal and collective level, connecting past and present experiences. (...) The author's literary oeuvre is enriched by her role in social activism, through which she significantly influences public discourse and social change. Monika Herceg uncompromisingly and passionately enriches the literary landscape of Central Europe and beyond, establishing an important bridge between different layers of human experience and making her work universally accessible and deeply relevant for today's time," the award statement emphasizes.

The Central European Initiative Award for Young Authors is given in collaboration with the Slovenian Writers' Association and is aimed at promoting the younger generation of writers and helping to expand their work into the languages of CEI member countries.

This year's award ceremony will take place on September 3 at the opening of the Vilenica Festival in Ljubljana.

The CEI award for young writers is promoted by the Central European Initiative and the Slovenian Writers' Association as part of the Vilenica International Literary Festival, with the goal of promoting young writers and supporting the circulation of their literary works by translating them into the languages of Central European Initiative countries. The award includes translation into Slovenian and another CEI language of the winner's choice.

Central European Initiative (CEI)

The Central European Initiative (CEI) was established in Budapest on November 11, 1989. It is an intergovernmental forum aimed at promoting European integration and sustainable development through cooperation among member states and with the European Union, international, and regional organizations. The CEI serves as a platform for political dialogue and has developed a very operational, goal-oriented approach to regional cooperation. It combines multilateral diplomacy, funds, programs, and project management as both a donor and a recipient.

Today, the Initiative includes 17 member states from Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe: nine of them are EU members (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia) and eight are non-EU members (Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine).

In December 2011, the Central European Initiative was granted observer status at the United Nations General Assembly.

Photo: (c) Dobrila Zvonarek.