Lithuanians in the News
9th November 2014
Australian Lithuanian Poet Lidija Šimkutė at the Autumn Poetry Festival in Druskininkai
Lidija Šimkutė (centre) with the Japanese poet Koichi Yakushigawa
(right) and the Estonian scholar and author Rein Raud at the
Autumn Poetry Festival in Druskininkai 2014.
Photo courtesy Lidija Šimkutė
The XXV International Literature Festival "Poetic Autumn in Druskininkai" was held this year 1-6 October, 2014. Among the international gathering of poets and literary figures in the resort city of Druskininkai, attending the festival this year was Australian Lithuanian poet Lidija Šimkutė, where she met up with translator of her book "Mintis ir Uola - Thought and Rock" into Japanese, Koichi Yakushigawa.
The Japanese translation of her book was formally presented at the Embassy of Japan in Vilnius on October 6. Koichi Yakushigawa has praised Lidija's poetry and has stated "I have compared Lidija's poems to haiku and Japanese paintings. But in fact Lidija Šimkutė has created a world of her own in her poetry".
As well as being present in Druskininkai, Lidija travelled widely in Lithuania with readings of her poetry.

Further information:
http://www.bernardinai.lt/straipsnis/2014-10-06-lidija-simkute-atsako-i-vilniaus-sv-kristoforo-gimnazijos-moksleiviu-klausimyna/122688
http://www.slic.org.au/Culture/Lidija.htm
www.ace.net.au/lidija