Tomas Venclova (born 11 September 1937) is a

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

n poet, prose writer, scholar, philologist and translator of literature. He is one of the five founding members of the Lithuanian Helsinki Group. In 1977, following his

dissident A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established political or religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and in the political sense since the 2 ...

activities, he was forced to emigrate and was deprived of his Soviet citizenship. Since 1980, he has taught Russian and Polish literature at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

. Considered a major figure in world literature, he has received many awards, including the Prize of Two Nations (received jointly with

Czesław Miłosz Czesław Miłosz ( , , ; 30 June 1911 – 14 August 2004) was a Polish Americans, Polish-American poet, prose writer, translator, and diplomat. He primarily wrote his poetry in Polish language, Polish. Regarded as one of the great poets of the ...

), an
The Person of Tolerance of the Year Award from the Sugihara Foundation
among other honors.

Life

Tomas Venclova was born in

Klaipėda Klaipėda ( ; ) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. It is the List of cities in Lithuania, third-largest city in Lithuania, the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, fifth-largest city in the Baltic States, and the capi ...

in 1937. His father, Antanas, was a poet and Soviet politician. Tomas was educated at Vilnius University. He was one of the five founding members of the Lithuanian Helsinki Group, and took part in Lithuanian and Russian dissident movements. He became friends with poets

Anna Akhmatova Anna Andreyevna Gorenko rus, А́нна Андре́евна Горе́нко, p=ˈanːə ɐnˈdrʲe(j)ɪvnə ɡɐˈrʲɛnkə, a=Anna Andreyevna Gorenko.ru.oga, links=yes; , . ( – 5 March 1966), better known by the pen name Anna Akhmatova,. ...

and

Boris Pasternak Boris Leonidovich Pasternak (30 May 1960) was a Russian and Soviet poet, novelist, composer, and literary translator. Composed in 1917, Pasternak's first book of poems, ''My Sister, Life'', was published in Berlin in 1922 and soon became an imp ...

, as well as Natalya Gorbanevskaya and Joseph Brodsky. In Vilnius, he translated Baudelaire, T.S. Eliot, W.H. Auden, Robert Frost, Osip Mandelstam,

, and other authors into Lithuanian. In Lithuania he was forbidden to publish his own work, except in samizdat, although one volume appeared in 1972, entitled ''A Sign of Speech''. In 1977, following his dissident activities, he was forced to emigrate. He was invited by

to teach at the University of California at Berkeley. He did not return to Lithuania until its independence in 1991. Between 1980 and 2012, he has taught Russian and Polish literature at

. 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 by

into Polish, and by Joseph Brodsky into Russian. He is active in the contemporary cultural life of Lithuania, and is one of its most well-respected figures. He lived in

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

(

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

), in the past also temporarily in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

and

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

. In 2018, after retiring from Yale University, Venclova and his wife moved to Vilnius.

Selected honors and awards

* 2023 Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award (Poland) * 2018 Doctor Honoris Causa of Göttingen University (Germany) * 2017 Doctor Honoris Causa of Tbilisi University (Georgia) * 2017 Doctor Honoris Causa of Vilnius University (Lithuania) * 2017 HOMER - The European Medal of Poetry and Art – (

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

) * 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

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: , 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 aperback 2003 286 p. * ''Winter Dialogue''. Northwestern University Press, 1997 aperback 1999 148 p. Books in German translation * ''Gespräch im Winter: Gedichte''. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2007 * ''Vilnius. Eine Stadt in Europa''. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag, 2006 * ''Vilnius: Stadtfuehrer''. Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla, 2002 * ''Guenter Grass, Czesław Miłosz, Wisława Szymborska, Tomas Venclova. Die Zukunft der Erinnerung''. Goettingen: Steidl, 2001 * ''Vor der Tuer das Ende der Welt'': Gedichte. Hamburg: Rospo Verlag, 2000 Books 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, 2012 * ''Негатив белизны. Стихи разных лет''/ На русском языке с параллельным литовским текстом. М.: Новое издательство, 2008 * ''Гранёный воздух. Стихотворения''. Москва: ОГИ, Дом Юргиса Балтрушайтиса, 2002 * ''Свобода и правда''. Москва: Издательская группа «Прогресс», 1999 Books in Swedish translation * ''Former av hopp: Essaer 1976–2001''. Kristianstad: Ariel/Ellerstroms, 2001 * ''Samtal vintertid: Dikter 1956–2000''. Satarod/Malmo: Ariel, 2000 Books in Polish translation * ''Czesław Miłosz, Tomas Venclova, Powroty do Litwy. Returns to Lithuania''. Warszawa: Zeszyty Literackie, 2011 * ''Z dzienników podróży''. Warszawa: Zeszyty Literackie, 2010 * ''Opisać Wilno''. Warszawa: Fundacja Zeszytów Literackich, 2006. * ''Niezniszczalny rytm — eseje o literaturze''. Pogranicze, 2002 * ''Wilno: Przewodnik''. Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla, 2001 * ''Rozmowa w zimie''. Warszawa: Zeszyty Literackie, 2001 * ''Eseje''. Publicystyka. Pogranicze, 2001 * ''Aleksander Wat. Obrazoburca''. Przeł. J. Goślicki. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1997 * ''Rozmowa w zimie''. Paris-Kraków: Zeszyty Literackie-Oficyna Literacka, 1991 * ''Sześć wierszy''. Lublin: Wydawnictwo FIS, 1991 * ''Siedem wierszy''. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo S, 1986 * ''Czesław Miłosz, Tomas Venclova, Dialog o Wilnie''. Warszawa: Niezależna Oficyna Wydawnicza, 1981 Books in Hungarian Translation * ''Vilnius egy város Európában'' (translated by Tölgyesi Beatrix). Budapest: Európa Könykviadó, 2009 * ''Litvánok és...'' . Budapest: Európa Könyvkiadó, 2003 * ''Mondjátok meg Fortinbrasnak''. Budapest: Európa Könyvkiadó, 1992 Books in Ukrainian Translation * ''Передчуття і пророцтва Східної Європи''. Дух і літера, 2016 Books in Finnish translation * ''Vilna: Kaupungin tarina''. Tampere: Jagellonica-kulttuuriyhdistys ry, 2012 Books 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, 2011 Books in Portuguese translation * ''Literatura lituana (Sinopse)''. New York: Lithuanian National Foundation, Inc., 1979 Books in Slovenian translation * ''Čistost soli''. Ljubljana: Društvo slovenskih pisateljev, 1991 Books in Albanian translation * ''Dialog ne dimer: Poezi te zgjedhura''. Tirane: Aleph, 2005

References

External links

Web of Stories
Tomas Venclova (video 1:11), part 1 of 88 (Lithuanian with English subtitles)

A selection of Venclova's poetry at ''Poetry Magazine''
* About Tomas Venclova
Literaturfestival Berlin
an
DAAD Program

*A guide to th
Tomas Venclova Papers
at th

{{DEFAULTSORT:Venclova, Tomas 1937 births Living people People from Klaipėda Vilnius University alumni Lithuanian philologists Lithuanian essayists Lithuanian writers Lithuanian translators Lithuanian male poets Soviet emigrants to the United States American people of Lithuanian descent Soviet dissidents Lithuanian Helsinki Group University of California, Berkeley faculty Yale University faculty Commander's Crosses of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas Grand Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland Soviet literary historians Soviet male writers Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Vytis Knights of the Order of Vytautas the Great Denaturalized citizens of the Soviet Union 20th-century Lithuanian essayists Restoration of the independence of the Baltic states