Lithuanian poet and scholar (born 1937)
Tomas Venclova (born 11 September 1937) is aLithuanian poet, prose writer, scholar, philologist and translator of literature. He is one of the five founding members of theLithuanian Helsinki Group . In 1977, following hisdissident activities, he was forced to emigrate and was deprived of his Soviet citizenship. Since 1980, he has taught Russian and Polish literature atYale University . Considered a major figure in world literature, he has received many awards, including the Prize of Two Nations (received jointly withCzesław Miłosz ), andThe Person of Tolerance of the Year Award from the Sugihara Foundation , among other honors.
Tomas Venclova was born inKlaipėda in 1937. His father,Antanas , was a poet and Soviet politician. Tomas was educated atVilnius University . He was one of the five founding members of theLithuanian Helsinki Group , and took part in Lithuanian and Russian dissident movements.[ 1] Anna Akhmatova andBoris Pasternak , as well asNatalya Gorbanevskaya andJoseph Brodsky . In Vilnius, he translated Baudelaire,T.S. Eliot ,W.H. Auden ,Robert Frost ,Osip Mandelstam ,Anna Akhmatova ,Boris Pasternak , and other authors into Lithuanian. In Lithuania he was forbidden to publish his own work, except insamizdat , although one volume appeared in 1972, entitledA Sign of Speech . In 1977, following his dissident activities, he was forced to emigrate.[ 1]
He was invited byCzesław Miłosz to teach at theUniversity of California at Berkeley .[ 2] Yale University .[ 2]
He has published over twenty books including volumes of poetry, literary criticism, political commentary, literary biography, translation and books on Vilnius. His work has been translated into many languages including byCzesław Miłosz into Polish, and byJoseph Brodsky into Russian. He is active in the contemporary cultural life of Lithuania, and is one of its most well-respected figures.[ 1]
He lived inNew Haven (Connecticut ,United States ), in the past also temporarily inVilnius andKraków . In 2018, after retiring from Yale University, Venclova and his wife moved to Vilnius.[ 3]
Selected honors and awards [ edit ] 2025Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature [ 4] 2023Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award (Poland)[ 5] 2018 Doctor Honoris Causa of Göttingen University (Germany) 2017 Doctor Honoris Causa of Tbilisi University (Georgia) 2017 Doctor Honoris Causa of Vilnius University (Lithuania) 2017HOMER - The European Medal of Poetry and Art – (Tbilisi ) 2014 Petrarca-Prize (Germany) 2013 Honorary Citizen of Vilnius, Lithuania 2012 Lithuanian Cultural Prize 2012 Lithuanian Diplomacy Star from the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (for contributions to Lithuanian Human Rights) 2012 Person of Tolerance of the Year Award, Sugihara-Diplomats for Life Foundation 2011 Qinhai International Poetry Prize (China) 2008 Baltic Star (Russia) 2007 Member,Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences 2005 Jotvingiai Prize (Lithuania) 2005 New Culture of New Europe Prize 2002 Prize of Two Nations (received jointly with Czesław Miłosz) 2001 Borderland Award (Poland) 2000 Lithuanian National Prize 1990 Vilenica International Literary Prize (Slovenia) Selected bibliography [ edit ] Books written in Lithuanian
Visi eilėraščiai: 1956–2010. Collected Poems . Vilnius: Lietuvių literatūros ir tautosakos institutas, 2010. 404 p.Vilnius: asmeninė istorija . Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla, 2011. 200 p.Kitaip: poezijos vertimų rinktinė . Vilnius: Lietuvos rašytojų sąjungos leidykla, 2006. 432 p.Vilniaus vardai . Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla, 2006. 333 p.Sankirta: Eilėraščiai . Vilnius: Lietuvos rašytojų sąjungos leidykla, 2005. 80 p.Ligi Lietuvos 10 000 kilometrų . Vilnius: Baltos lankos, 2003. 236 p.Vilnius: Vadovas po miestą . Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla, 2001. 216 p.Manau, kad… Pokalbiai su Tomu Venclova . Vilnius: Baltos lankos, 2000. 320 p.Rinktinė . Vilnius: Baltos lankos, 1999. 216 p.Reginys iš alėjos: eilėraščiai . Vilnius: Baltos lankos, 1998. 64 p.Pašnekesys žiemą: eilėraščiai ir vertimai . Vilnius:Vaga Publishers [lt ] , 1991. 376 p.Vilties formos: eseistika ir publicistika . Vilnius: Lietuvos rašytojų sąjungos leidykla, 1991. 544 p.Tankėjanti šviesa: eilėraščiai . Chicago: Algimanto Mackaus knygų leidimo fondas, AM&M Publications, 1990. 72 p.Tekstai apie tekstus . Chicago: Algimanto Mackaus knygų leidimo fondas, 1985. 240 p.Lietuva pasaulyje: publicistika . Chicago: Akademinės skautijos leidykla, 1981. 292 p.98 eilėraščiai . Chicago: Algimanto Mackaus knygų leidimo fondas, 1977. 142 p.Kalbos ženklas: eilėraščiai . Vilnius: Vaga, 1972. 64 p.Golemas, arba dirbtinis žmogus: pokalbiai apie kibernetiką . Vilnius, 1965. 272 p.Raketos, planetos ir mes . Vilnius: Valstybinė grožinės literatūros leidykla, 1962. 168 p.Lietuvos istorija visiems , I tomas. Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla, 2018, 336 p.Lietuvos istorija visiems , II tomas. Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla, 2019, 380 p.*Books written in Russian
Собеседники на пиру. Литературные эссе . Москва, НЛО, 2012, 624 с.Статьи о Бродском. Москва : Baltrus, Новое издательство, 2005. 176 с.Собеседники на пиру. Статьи о русской литературе . Vilnius: Baltos lankos,1997, 256 c.Неустойчивое равновесие: восемь русских поэтических текстов . New Haven: YCIAS, 1986.Books written in English
Magnetic North: Conversations with Tomas Venclova (Rochester, N. Y.: University of Rochester Press, 2017).Aleksander Wat: Life and Art of an Iconoclast . New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1996. 370 p.Books in English translation
Vilnius. A Personal History . The Sheep Meadow Press, 2009, 276 p.The Junction: Selected Poems . Edited by Ellen Hinsey. Bloodaxe Books, 2008.Vilnius . Vilnius. R. Paknio leidykla, 2001. 216 p.Forms of Hope: Essays . The Sheep Meadow Press, 1999 [paperback 2003], 286 p.Winter Dialogue . Northwestern University Press, 1997 [paperback 1999], 148 p.Books in German translation
Gespräch im Winter: Gedichte . Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2007Vilnius. Eine Stadt in Europa . Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2006Vilnius: Stadtfuehrer . Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla, 2002Guenter Grass, Czesław Miłosz, Wisława Szymborska, Tomas Venclova. Die Zukunft der Erinnerung . Goettingen: Steidl, 2001Vor der Tuer das Ende der Welt : Gedichte. Hamburg: Rospo Verlag, 2000Books in Russian translation
Metelinga: Стихотворения и не только / Пер. и сост.А. Герасимовой . — М.: Пробел-2000, Umka-Press, 2017.Вильнюс: город в Европе . Пер. с лит. Марии Чепайтите. СПб. Изд-во Ивана Лимбаха, 2012Негатив белизны. Стихи разных лет / На русском языке с параллельным литовским текстом. М.: Новое издательство, 2008Гранёный воздух. Стихотворения . Москва: ОГИ, Дом Юргиса Балтрушайтиса, 2002Свобода и правда . Москва: Издательская группа «Прогресс», 1999Books in Swedish translation
Former av hopp: Essaer 1976–2001 . Kristianstad: Ariel/Ellerstroms, 2001Samtal vintertid: Dikter 1956–2000 . Satarod/Malmo: Ariel, 2000Books in Polish translation
Czesław Miłosz, Tomas Venclova, Powroty do Litwy. Returns to Lithuania . Warszawa: Zeszyty Literackie, 2011Z dzienników podróży . Warszawa: Zeszyty Literackie, 2010Opisać Wilno . Warszawa: Fundacja Zeszytów Literackich, 2006.Niezniszczalny rytm — eseje o literaturze . Pogranicze, 2002Wilno: Przewodnik . Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla, 2001Rozmowa w zimie . Warszawa: Zeszyty Literackie, 2001Eseje . Publicystyka. Pogranicze, 2001Aleksander Wat. Obrazoburca . Przeł. J. Goślicki. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1997Rozmowa w zimie . Paris-Kraków: Zeszyty Literackie-Oficyna Literacka, 1991Sześć wierszy . Lublin: Wydawnictwo FIS, 1991Siedem wierszy . Warszawa: Wydawnictwo S, 1986Czesław Miłosz, Tomas Venclova, Dialog o Wilnie . Warszawa: Niezależna Oficyna Wydawnicza, 1981Books in Hungarian Translation
Vilnius egy város Európában (translated by Tölgyesi Beatrix). Budapest: Európa Könykviadó, 2009Litvánok és... . Budapest: Európa Könyvkiadó, 2003Mondjátok meg Fortinbrasnak . Budapest: Európa Könyvkiadó, 1992Books in Ukrainian Translation
Передчуття і пророцтва Східної Європи . Дух і літера, 2016Books in Finnish translation
Vilna: Kaupungin tarina . Tampere: Jagellonica-kulttuuriyhdistys ry, 2012Books in Italian translation
Cinquantuno poesie e una lettera (In forma di parole , 2003, No. 1 Bologna)Books in Chinese translation
Selected Poems . Xining: Qinghai Renmin Press, 2011Books in Portuguese translation
Literatura lituana (Sinopse) . New York: Lithuanian National Foundation, Inc., 1979Books in Slovenian translation
Čistost soli . Ljubljana: Društvo slovenskih pisateljev, 1991Books in Albanian translation
Dialog ne dimer: Poezi te zgjedhura . Tirane: Aleph, 2005
1989–1993 1994–1998 1999–2003 2004–2008 2009–2013 2014–2018
International National Academics People Other
Lithuanian National Prize,Petrarca-Preis,Vilenica International Literary Prize,Zbigniew Herbert Award, Doctor Honoris Causa of Vilnius University
