This unique poetry event is now in its 22nd incarnation and is organised by the Rešetari Literary and Arts Association and the Croatian Heritage Foundation. It is much more than simply a gathering of poets. Nurturing the ancestral mother tongue, Croatians around the world hold on to their identity in the countries they now call home and create bridges with Croatia.
During the closing days of summer, from the 20th to 29th of September, the small Slavonia region village of Rešetari once again welcomed visiting poets. The participants gathered on Friday, with Croatian Heritage Foundation representatives—our executive secretary Diana Mašala Perković and the head of our Croatian minority communities department Marin Knezović—on hand to meet with representatives of ethnic Croatian minority groups in North Macedonia, the representative of the Democratic Federation of Croatians in Romania, a teacher and pupils from Lupak, and the president of the Croatian Community of Trieste.
This unique poetry event is now in its 22nd incarnation and is organised by the Rešetari Literary and Arts Association and the Croatian Heritage Foundation. It is much more, however, than simply a gathering of poets. Nurturing the ancestral mother tongue, Croatians around the world hold on to their identity in the countries they now call home and create bridges with Croatia.
The event was again held under the auspices of Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović. The event’s traditional co-sponsors are the culture ministry, Brod-Posavina County, the Municipality of Rešetari and the Central State Office for Croats Abroad.
The core segment of the event opened on the morning of the 21st of September with the choir of Ante Starčević Elementary School singing the national anthem and a selection of patriotic songs. This was followed by a promotion of Dugin trag (“The Rainbow’s Trail”), a collection of the works of young poets, sponsored by Canadian-Croatian philanthropist Antun Kikaš. On hand to promote the collection was teacher Gabrijela Vojvodić and Ante Starčević Elementary School principal Tihomir Batalo, who expressed his gratitude to the Rešetari Literary and Arts Association. It has, in fact, as principal Batalo pointed out, been this poetry gathering that has allowed the school to achieve worthy international cooperation projects: Naš zavičajni govor (“Our Native Tongue”) with Lupak Elementary School in Romania, and Most prijateljstva (“Bridge of Friendship”) with Goce Delčev Elementary School in in North Macedonia.
Diana Mašala Perković, our executive secretary, spoke before the gathered poets and poetry enthusiasts, underlining the importance of the gathering of young poets who continue the long-standing tradition of nurturing poetic expression in the Croatian tongue.
Professor Ivan Slišurić led the promotion of Opet sam ulovio tišinu (“Again I’ve Caught the Silence”), a collection of poetry from the 22nd gathering of Croatian and visiting poets in Rešetari. The collection pools the work of 120 poets. Later Croatian language teacher Gabrijela Vojvodić presented Slobodna misao (“Free Thought”), a new collection of poetry by German-Croatian poet Malkica Dugeč.
The gathered poets, event participants and other guests were again this year received by the municipal mayor Zlatko Aga. The municipal mayor and the leadership of this municipality and its council have often been thanked and commended for the contribution they have made and continue to make to the meeting of poets in Rešetari. This was also an opportunity for the representatives of ethnic Croatian associations to speak of their work and participation.
The Rešetari Literary and Arts Association also staged an exhibition, hosted by the local Petrović Gallery and visited by the event participants, featuring the artwork of participants of the 22nd Antun Petrović International Art Colony.
The programme of the 22nd Rešetari International Meeting of Poets from the Homeland and Abroad opened with young Hanna Lucić of Rešetari singing the Croatian national anthem, accompanied by Josip Čenić and Mijo Mišo Bijuklić, ethnic Croatian musicians from Vienna. This Viennese duo was on hand throughout the event providing musical interludes.
Rešetari Literary and Arts Association president Ivan De Villa, Rešetari municipal mayor Zlatko Aga, Canadian-Croatian philanthropist Anton Kikaš, Croatian Community of Trieste president Damir Murković, Marijan Padineant of the Democratic Federation of Croatians in Romania, Ljerka Toth Naumova of the Croatian Community of Macedonia and the Municipality of Ilinden, and Katica Pavković Špiranec of the Federation of Croatian Associations of Slovenia and the Ljubljana Croatian Culture Society all spoke at the event. Our executive secretary Diana Mašala Perković welcomed everyone and officially opened the event on behalf of co-organiser the Croatian Heritage Foundation.
The poetry kicked off with poets from abroad taking centre stage, joined by members of the Rešetari association from all of Croatia’s counties. This segment of the programme closed with a presentation of plaques to deserving members Zdravko Luburić, Malkica Dugeč, Radomir Dumičić and, posthumously, to the family of Stjepan Adžić. The day wrapped up with a singing of the stirring melody Ne dirajte mi ravnicu (“Hands Off My Plains”).
A round table discussion and a lecture on literature and poetic expression was led on Sunday the 22nd of September by Ms Vojvodić under the title Zatamni nebitno, pronađi poetično (“Shroud the Trivial—Find the Poetic”).
The participants then moved on to the local church of Christ the King to celebrate a Roman Catholic mass, including a recitation of their poetry by Keti Mijolović from Zadar and Katica Pavković Špiranec from Ljubljana in neighbouring Slovenia. Parish priest Josip Bogović was presented a painting of the chapel of St Anthony of Padua in recognition of his work in support of this event. The village of Rešetari will again host poets in 2020, from the 15th to 17th of September.
By: Lidija Puđak & Diana Mašala Perković
Lead
This unique poetry event is now in its 22nd incarnation and is organised by the Rešetari Literary and Arts Association and the Croatian Heritage Foundation. It is much more than simply a gathering of poets. Nurturing the ancestral mother tongue, Croatians around the world hold on to their identity in the countries they now call home and create bridges with Croatia.
