Split was the venue for the presentation of two collections published by the Croatian Emigrant Lyricism association – the 11th collection On Trodden Paths and the 12th collection In Search Of Lost Horizons. Ivanka Madunić Kuzmanović, a member of the association from the US state of Wisconsin, presented her own collection Croatia – Source and Estuary.
The Croatian Emigrant Lyricism association was founded in New York some 13 years ago. Every year it organises an evening of poetry in a different city and has also presented itself to an audience in Croatia’s Split. The association publishes a collection of works every year, currently on its twelfth. The evenings are largely organised in US cities, but the tenth event was staged in Zadar and the thirteenth in Vienna. Over its years of activity the group has pooled some 150 poets from around the world. Most importantly, they all write in Croatian despite living abroad.
The event founder Nada Pupačić wished to present some of the collection to Split audiences. On August 29th the 11th collection, entitled Po utrtim putovima (On Trodden Paths), was presented at the Vinko Draganja Gallery in the Dominican monastery with guest speaker Đuro Vidmarović. The 12th collection, U potrazi za izgubljenim obzorima (In Search Of Lost Horizons), was presented by reviewer Helena Burić. Ivanka Madunić Kuzmanović, a member of the association from the US state of Wisconsin, presented her own collection Hrvatska i izvor i ušće (Croatia – Source and Estuary) with speaker Mladen Vuković. The event was opened with short welcomes from host Iko Mateljan OP and the association’s president Nada Pupačić.
Welcoming everyone on behalf of the Croatian Heritage Foundation was Branka Bezić Filipović. Also participating in the discussion was Split-based writer Dunja Kalilić, who has also lived abroad, in Italy and the United States of America. She presented her take on the necessity of writing among the emigrant communities and on the On Trodden Paths collection.
Text by: Branka Bezić Filipović