The Crystal Vilenica award is presented to an author from Central Europe, featured in the Vilenica Almanac and who appears at one of the literary readings within the festival. The winner is selected by an international jury, comprised of the guests of the festival. The presentation takes place within the literary matinée at the Štanjel castle. The winner of the Vilenica Crystal receives a statuette, a work by the academic painter Peter Abram, and the opportunity to appear at the distinguished literary festival Cúirt taking place in April in the Irish town Galway. As part of the author exchange programme between the two festivals established last year, the Vilenica festival welcomes last year’s Poetry Slam Award winner of the Cúirt festival as the Cúirt festival will host the Crystal Vilenica winner. In 2008 both festivals will take place for the 23^rd time.


Former Crystal Vilenica award winners are:

2007 - Piotr Sommer, Poland
2006 - Mojca Kumerdej, Slovenia
2005 - Vladas Braziūnas, Lithuania
2004 - Valžyna Mort, Belarus
2002 - Pál Závada, Hungary
2001 - Natalka Bilocerkivec, Ukraine
2000 - Vörös Istvan, Hungary
1999 - Angelo Cherchi, Italy
1998 - Peter Semolič, Slovenia
1997 - Nicole Müller, Switzerland
1996 - Kaća Čelan, Bosnia and Hercegovina
1995 - Marzanna Bogumiła Kielar, Poland
1994 - Slavko Mihalić, Croatia
1993 - Francesco Micieli, Switzerland
1992 - Endre Kukorelly, Hungary
1991 - Grendel Lajos, Slovak Republik
1990 - Aleš Debeljak, Slovenia
1989 - Dubravka Ugrešić, Croatia
1988 - Ewa Lipska, Poland
1987 - Gregor Strniša, Slovenia


Crystal Vilenica jury members:

2008- Yang Lian, Tomas Venclova, Wolfgang Kühn, Marko Uršič, John O'Brien
2007 - Tomás Mac Síomóin, president, Tina Mahkota, Dennis O’Driscoll, Elžbieta Wójcik-Leese, Kari Klemelä
2006 – Gabriel Rosenstock, president, Simona Škrabec, Brian Henry, Yiorgos Chouliaras, Bohdan Zadura
2005 - Alojz Ihan, president, Erica Pedretti, Alexandra Büchler, Eugenijus Ališanka, Pavel Vilikovský