On Thursday, 3 November, a poetry collection by Marko Kravos “Salt on tongue” was presented in the National and University Library of the Republic of Srpska in Banja Luka. The book was published by “Kuća poezije”, while the Association of Slovenians “Triglav” took part in the organisation of the literary evening.
Slovenian poet, writer, essayist and translator Marko Kravos lives in Trieste. He won many literary awards, and this year he has won the Golden Coin of Poetry for the contribution to Slovenian culture and literature and for building the bridges among cultures. Merits for publishing his lyric and epic poems in Serbian go to Zdravko Kecman, who runs the publishing agency “Kuća poezije”. Kravos’ book was published in the collection of Sv. Hieronim, and has beautiful graphics. Poems were translated by Milan Đorđević, Nela Marković Bebler, Josip Osti and Zdravko Kecman. Foreword was written by Marija Pirjevec and Juan Octavio Prenz, while Miljko Šindić spoke about the book at the literary evening. He emphasized the diversity of Kravos’ poetry, particularly underlining the last cycles Pesmi desetnice (Homeless Poems).
Kravos’ poetry contains life – somewhat bitter but much more jolly. His humor is unusual and due to the simplicity of language and glittering metaphors it is also close to those who do not read poetry too much. Author is a great interpreter of his poems affecting all our senses, as they are full of sounds, smells and tastes. We may taste salt on the tongue, the salt of the sea and in the wind of area where the poet lives. One of his poetry collections is entitled Sredi zemlje – Sredozemlje /In the middle of land – Mediterranean/ and so, as the author he stands firmly in the middle of the land and in the middle of Mediterranean, but also stands firmly in the middle of his life. He strolls through all that, carefully writing down everything he sees, hears, touches, smells and tastes. He says he is standing in his shoes a little bit surprised and in dilemma. And so surprised he discloses to readers the world of butterflies without weight, the world in which we should fly.
We were able to feel the value of Kravos’ poetry during the presentation of the book Salt on tongue. Students of supply teaching lessons of Slovenian got familiar with Kravos’ life and work during the lessons and therefore during the literary evening they could follow the poems in both Slovenian and Serbian language. Serbian translations were read by Ana Marjanović, who nicely connected all three speakers: Marko Kravos, Miljko Šindić and Zdravko Kecman.
Barbara Hanuš
