Poetry - it's stealing from the beyond

 

I was born in the youngest (only thirteen years my senior) Lithuanian town - Elektrėnai on 7 January 1973 in the evening, when the sky was pouring with rain and cracking with lightning.

 

After completing my secondary education at Elektrėnai Secondary school (now “Ažuolynas”), I studied Philology at Vilnius University and had a perfect opportunity to learn from a famous professor Victoria Daujotytė and poet Marcelijus Martinaitis...

 

In 1997, I graduated from Vilnius University with a master’s degree in Lithuanian literature.  Since then I have worked for the Respublika daily as a news reporter.

 

I composed my first poems in my childhood while I was learning in the elementary school. I returned to poetry during my studies at the university and have never stopped writing it. Poetry was, is and will always be the most important activity in my life,  the voice of my inner self, my search for God and, one might say, - a synonym for my whole spiritual life. Poetry - it's a kind of stealing from the beyond, then enlarging and enriching the world.

 

Until recently, I have published a few poetry books:

„Akis" | An Eye (1996)

„Randas" | A Scar (2002)

„Tylos matavimo vienetai" | Measuring the Silence (2006)

„Laužiu antspaudą" | Breaking the Seal (2008)

„Patys paprasčiausi burtažodžiai" | The Simplest Spell (2010)

„Ryšys su vadaviete" | Command Post (2012)

„Kertinis skiemuo" | Key Syllable (2015)

„Pūgos durys" | The Door of Blizzard - a poetical fairy tale for children (2014)

„Diktantai sielai" | Dictations for the Soul (2008) and „Betliejaus avytė" | Lamb of Bethlehem (2015) - two essay books

„Vinys Marškonių kaimui statyti" | Nails for Constructing  Marskoniai Village (2001) - a long short story.

 

My other works:

In 2000 by my dramatization, Saulius Mykolaitis staged the play by Daniil Kharms „Stop mašina" | “Put Breaks On”.

 

A libretto for the rock opera „Jūratė ir Kastytis", which was produced in cooperation with a composer Rokas Radzevičius in 2002.

 

Lyrics for over twenty rock songs to famous Lithuanian singers Marijus Mikutavičius, Aistė Smilgevičiūtė, Kostas Smoriginas, Olegas Ditkovskis, Neda Malūnavičiūtė, Saulius Bareikis, Mindaugas Ancevičius...

 

I became the Poetry Spring festival laureate in 2009, was awarded a Jurga Ivanauskaite award, Jotvingiai prize, and won the Book of the year competition, and others.

 

My poetry has been translated into Polish, Swedish, Finnish, English and other languages.