Tetovo, 6 March 2024 (MIA) — The Macedonian Writers Association's annual Danica Ruchigaj prize, given to the author of the best poetry book written by a woman and published during the previous year, was awarded to Tetovo writer Slavica Dabevska Kjirovska for her poetry collection "Pletenka" ["Braid"], MIA's Tetovo correspondent reports.

The collection consists of 48 poems, which "lead us to the height of the starry sky where she tries to find out, over those divine distances, what the lady of verse looks like — the one she dreams about sailing in a narrow vacuum to elevate the world she came into — and why even the stars are silent before us about what they know so well," according to book reviewer Ljerka Tot-Naumova speaking about Dabevska Kjirovska's poetry.

The award ceremony took place at the Iljo Anteski Smok Culture Center, organized by Kocho Racin City Library. MWA president Hristo Petreski presented the prize to Dabevska Kjirovska.

Petreski said she deserved the award "not only for this book but also for her previous books." 

"She is a well-known name, not only in Tetovo and not only in Macedonia," Petreski said. "She has also received awards outside of Macedonia, but what is most important is that she is one of the most serious poets and writers in the Macedonian Writers Association and works very seriously on her poetry and prose."

I personally expect her to write for children in the future, because she has been working with children all her life, and I think we are yet to read her stories, fairy tales, and picture books," he added.

Dabevska Kjirovska thanked the MWA on the prize and read some of her poems to the audience.

"This is a bright day for a fragile soul who leaves sawdust on paper, her soul soaring while writing verse. Every word I say is too little. I keep the enormity inside me. Thank you for taking the time to come and share with me this great joy, a joy that has been shedding tears since October, so many tears that there is not this much water in the oceans any more," she said.

"Pletenka" (2023) is Dabevska Kjirovska's fifth poetry book. She has also published two novels.

MWA's annual award for a best poetry book written by a woman celebrates the legacy of Macedonian poet Danica Ruchigaj, who lost her life at age 29 in the 1963 Skopje earthquake. Ruchigaj was the first woman to publish a poetry book in Macedonian. mr/