Twenty-nine poets entered the competition, but the works of 24 were accepted because the others submitted poems in the standard language, which was not in accordance with the competition’s guidelines. Therefore, the jury accepted the works of the following poets: Dubravka Borić, Haja Gamulin, Ina Padovan, Irena Matijević, Katarina Makjanić, Katarina Simsig, Ljubica Srhoj, Marita Paštrović, Melika Popović, Nataša Jukić, Nela Vrkljan, Nenad Kuščević, Neven Dužević, Nikola Dominis, Rajka Anđelić Maslovarić, Rina Repanić, Sanja Fistonić, Stjepan Mijat Zaninović, Teo Tomić, Tomislav Lazaneo, Vana Kovačić, Vesna Štulić, Zora Depolo, and Zvonimir Friganović.
The following poems were nominated for the award: Ništa lišje by Dubravka Borić (Podgora, Brač); Spara by Teo Tomić (Šolta); Zemja by Marita Paštrović (Hvar, Zagreb); and Jedini put vanka je naprid by Stjepan Mijat Zaninović. The jury, consisting of Meri Šimara, a poet and professor of Croatian language and literature; Luči Lončar, a professor, organizer, and member of the Chakavian Word since its founding; and Ivica Volarić, a librarian, awarded the Tatjana Radovanović Prize to the poem by Stjepan Mijat Zaninović.
The award citation states the following: In his awarded poem, Stjepan Mijat Zaninović introduces a new poetic expression in the Chakavian dialect, departing from the often typical themes and modes of poetic expression seen thus far. He brings reflexivity and modern free verse into Chakavian poetry; with his poetry, the Chakavian dialect is alive, current, and spoken, without redundancies or non-stylistic repetitions; it is not limited to the old, increasingly less known lexicon, bridging the gap between written and spoken dialect, between written and spoken expression. Throughout history, the dialect has been the product and most effective means of transmitting Chakavian culture, so for many dialect poets, the choice of dialect is a cultural necessity, sometimes with ideological and class implications, especially for those who use the dialect as the language of the people, an alternative to the dominant standard. Stjepan Mijat Zaninović has turned this alternative into his poetic advantage without invoking nostalgia, the past, or a return to childhood. On the contrary, he has infused the Chakavian dialect with the rhythm of a new era, hinting at the poetic stylistics of a new generation to which he himself belongs. The jury also appreciated this.
The award will be presented in Garden, Gdinj on Hvar, on August 17, 2024. All nominees and participants in the competition will have the opportunity to publicly present their poems at that time.
See you in Gdinj!
