European Union Prize for Literature
2 appearances
-
Edition 5 (2013) Winner
-
Edition 10 (2018) Winner
Lidija Dimkovska
リディヤ・ディムコフスカ
Ridija Dimukovusuka
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1971 （Skopje）
- Nationality
- North Macedonia, Slovenia
- Languages
- Macedonian, Slovenian, Romanian, English
- Residence History
- Skopje (born) → Bucharest (residence/research/teaching) → Ljubljana (current residence, freelance writer/translator)
Career
- Occupations
- poet, novelist, translator, editor, academic/teacher
- Active Years
- 1992-
- Affiliations
- Blesok (former editor), University of Bucharest (taught Macedonian language and literature), University of Nova Gorica (taught world literature, Slovenia)
- Nominations
- Brücke Berlin Prize (shortlisted), Best Translated Book Award (shortlisted/longlisted), Poet of Freedom Award (nominated)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje | Comparative Literature | — | — | — | North Macedonia |
| University of Bucharest | Romanian Literature (PhD) | — | PhD | — | Romania |
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje
Comparative Literature
Country:
North Macedonia
Studied comparative literature (undergraduate level)
University of Bucharest
Romanian Literature (PhD)
Degree:
PhD
Country:
Romania
PhD in Romanian literature (year unknown)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Studentski Zbor Award for Best Debut Poetry Book | Offspring from the East (co-authored) | — | Studentski Zbor | won |
| 2005 | Macedonian Writers' Association Award (Best Prose Book) | Hidden Camera | prose | Macedonian Writers' Association | won |
| 2009 | Hubert Burda Prize for Young Poets | — | poetry | Hubert Burda Foundation (and partners) | won |
| 2012 | Tudor Arghezi International Poetry Prize | — | poetry | Romanian awarding body | won |
| 2013 | European Union Prize for Literature | — | — | European Union Prize for Literature | won |
| 2016 | Petru Krdu European Poetry Prize | — | poetry | Petru Krdu awarding body | won |
| 2020 | Cup of Immortality Award | — | — | Slovenian cultural award body | won |
| 2020 | Naim Frasheri International Poetry Award | — | poetry | Naim Frashëri awarding body | won |
| 2021 | Miladinov Brothers Award (Struga Poetry Evenings) | Boundary Situation | poetry | Struga International Poetry Evenings | won |
Studentski Zbor Award for Best Debut Poetry Book
1992
Work:
Offspring from the East (co-authored)
Organization:
Studentski Zbor
Result:
won
Macedonian Writers' Association Award (Best Prose Book)
2005
Work:
Hidden Camera
Category:
prose
Organization:
Macedonian Writers' Association
Result:
won
Hubert Burda Prize for Young Poets
2009
Category:
poetry
Organization:
Hubert Burda Foundation (and partners)
Result:
won
Tudor Arghezi International Poetry Prize
2012
Category:
poetry
Organization:
Romanian awarding body
Result:
won
European Union Prize for Literature
2013
Organization:
European Union Prize for Literature
Result:
won
Petru Krdu European Poetry Prize
2016
Category:
poetry
Organization:
Petru Krdu awarding body
Result:
won
Cup of Immortality Award
2020
Organization:
Slovenian cultural award body
Result:
won
Naim Frasheri International Poetry Award
2020
Category:
poetry
Organization:
Naim Frashëri awarding body
Result:
won
Miladinov Brothers Award (Struga Poetry Evenings)
2021
Work:
Boundary Situation
Category:
poetry
Organization:
Struga International Poetry Evenings
Result:
won
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Hidden Camera
2004 novelA novel that sketches social landscapes through observation and individual perspectives.
surveillanceindividual vs societymemory
Translations
- Skrivena Kamera (Bulgarian translation)
- Skrita Kamera (Slovenian translation)
A Spare Life
2012 novelA novel about existence, alternates and family; the English translation received international attention.
identityfamilyintersecting lives
Translations
- English translation by Christina E. Kramer (Two Lines Press, 2016)
- Italian translation by Mariangela Biancofiore
Non-Oui
2016 novelAn experimental novel exploring language, borders and individual choices.
languageborderschoice
Translations
- Translated into Polish, Slovenian, Croatian, among others
Boundary Situation
2021 poetryA poetry collection on borders, movement and ontological uncertainty. Winner of the Miladinov Brothers Award.
bordersmigrationexistence
pH Neutral for Life and Death
2009 poetry (selected)A selected poetry collection notable for its measured take on life and death; widely translated.
life and deathobservationmeasured narration
Translations
- English translation (Copper Canyon Press, 2012)
- Polish, German, French and others
Bibliography
- Offspring from the East (1992, co-authored)
- The Fire of the Letters (1994)
- Bitten Nails (1998)
- Nobel versus Nobel (2001)
- Ideal Weight (2008, selected poetry)
- pH Neutral for Life and Death (2009)
- In Black and White (2016)
- Boundary Situation (2021)
- Hidden Camera (2004)
- A Spare Life (2012)
- Non-Oui (2016)
- When I Left Karl Liebknecht (2019, short stories)
Translations of Works
- A Spare Life — English translation by Christina E. Kramer (Two Lines Press, 2016)
- pH Neutral History — English selected poems (Copper Canyon Press, 2012)
- Translations into many languages (German, French, Italian, Romanian, Russian, Polish, etc.)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical yet measured observational stylemultilingual sensibility that exploits language disjunctionsexperimental writing that questions boundaries
- Recurring Motifs
- borders / frontierslanguage and translatabilitymemory and surveillancemovement and exilefemale perspective
Legacy
An internationally recognized Macedonian poet and novelist. Widely translated and awarded, she has contributed to literary exchange across the Balkans and Central Europe.
Academic Societies
- Macedonian Writers' Association
- Slovenian PEN Centre (related)
In Popular Culture
- Invited to and in residence at international literary festivals (Iowa, London, Berlin, Vienna, etc.)
- Poems and excerpts have appeared in TLS, The Paris Review, Tin House and others
Trivia
- Holds dual citizenship of North Macedonia and Slovenia.
- Her books have been translated into more than 15 languages.
- Served as president of the jury for the Vilenica International Literary Prize (2016–2019).
- Participated in numerous international writers-in-residence programs.