Monika Herceg, born in 1990 in Sisak, Croatia, is one of the most prominent voices of contemporary Croatian literature. Actively engaged as poet, screenwriter, editor and as a gender equality activist, Herceg’s works have received significant acknowledgements and prestigious awards in her country and abroad.
She received the CEI Award for Young Writers 2024 in Ljubljana, on 3 September 2024, during the Vilenica International Literary Festival. The award, promoted in cooperation with the Slovene Writers’ Association, was presented by CEI Deputy Secretary General, Nina Kodelja, who highlighted that this initiative is not only a recognition of outstanding young writers, but it especially supports the translation of contemporary literary works and their circulation in the CEI region. “We believe that particularly in these times of conflicts and tensions, the promotion of dialogue, mutual understanding and good neighbourly relations is more and more necessary” Kodelja said.
The jury committee emphasised that
“Monika Herceg’s literature is made richer by her role as a social activist and the significant impact on public discourse and social change she has had. Without compromise and with great commitment, she enriches the literary space of Central Europe and beyond, building an important bridge between the different layers of human experience and making her work universally accessible and highly relevant for our times. The CEI Award is therefore a recognition of her exceptional talent and an encouragement for her to continue her commitment to literature and to the broader social shifts that inform her literary and social work.”
The awarding ceremony was followed by the CEI Roundtable discussion on “Icarus 2.0” bringing together the authors Vuk Ćosić, Simon Krek, Dušan Šarotar, Jernej Županič.
On 4 September, in Trieste, at the historical Caffè San Marco, Monika Herceg presented some excerpts from her literary works together with the authors Miljenko Jergović, recipient of the Vilenica Award 2024, and Paolo Rumiz.
For more info: fabro@cei.int
Photo © Sandra Šimunović
