Macedonian author Prokopiev scoops 'Balkanika 2010' literary award

Skopje, 4 March 2012 (MIA) - Macedonian writer Aleksandar Prokopiev is a recipient of the international literary award "Balkanika 2010" for his book "Little Man". 

I am very pleased, as the "Balkanika" prize is something that every writer aspires to, Prokopiev said Sunday after the announcement of the award jury's decision.

"I am particularly happy to win the prize this year, considering the strong competition among brilliant authors, who are prominent not only in the Balkan region, but also in Europe," Prokopiev said.

A seven-member international jury decided upon the winner on Saturday following three rounds of voting.

In addition to "Little Man", six other writers were vying for the accolade, including Zdravka Evtimova (Bulgaria), Dejan Stoiljkovic (Serbia), Mira Meksi (Albania), Christos Economou (Greece), Oma Stănescu (Romania) and Asli Erdogan (Turkey).

Skopje-based publishing house Magor organised the election of Macedonia's representative. The winning novel will be translated into Bulgarian, Serbian, Albanian, Greek, Romanian, Turkish and Macedonian. The prize will be presented to Prokopiev at a ceremony in Belgrade, scheduled for the end of this year.

Venko Andonovski so far is the only Macedonian writer who has won the "Balkanika" award for his novel "The Navel of the World" back in 2001.

The contest was launched 15 years ago in Ohrid in an effort to promote the importance of culture and literature as a bridge for connecting the countries of the region.