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Lithuanian poet, National Prize of Culture and Arts winner Kęstutis Navakas will participate at the international Tokyo Poetry Festival 2008 to be held October 31  to November 2 at Meiji University.Kęstutis Navakas is a poet, essayist, literary critic and translator. He served as chairperson of the Kaunas Young Writers' Section in 1987-1988 and, since 1993, has been a member of the Lithuanian Writers' Union. From 1994 to 1996 he was culture columnist and literary critic for the newspapers Kauno diena and Noriu, and worked for Lithuanian State Television reviewing new books from 1998 to 1999. He owned and operated a bookstore, Seven Solitudes, from 1996 until 2000 and from 2002 worked at Lithuanian State Television on the programme "Culture House". He currently writes for the cultural weekly Siaures Atenai. He made his literary debut in 1988 with a collection of poetry, he has also published three other books of poetry, a two collections of essays, and a collection of humorous literature. Navakas received the National Award of Culture and Arts in 2006. His poetry has been translated into English, German, Swedish, Russian, Georgian, and other languages.Tokyo Poetry Festival 2008 will feature 23 poets from Europe, Asia, US and Australia and 21 Japanese poet who will read free form poems, tanka, and haiku.The festival is organized by Tokyo Poetry Festival Committee, directed by Meiji University professor, President of World Haiku Asssociation, poet Ban’ya Natsuishi. He visited Lithuania in September this year to hold a creative seminar on haiku within framework of “Vilnius-European Capital of Culture 2009” project “Haiku to Vilnius”.The participation of Kęstutis Navakas at TPF 2008 is supported by Lithuanian Ministry of Culture.More about Tokyo Poetry Festival: www.tokyopoetry.net

Lithuanian poet, National Prize of Culture and Arts winner Kęstutis Navakas will participate at the international Tokyo Poetry Festival 2008 to be held October 31  to November 2 at Meiji University.

Kęstutis Navakas is a poet, essayist, literary critic and translator. He served as chairperson of the Kaunas Young Writers' Section in 1987-1988 and, since 1993, has been a member of the Lithuanian Writers' Union. From 1994 to 1996 he was culture columnist and literary critic for the newspapers Kauno diena and Noriu, and worked for Lithuanian State Television reviewing new books from 1998 to 1999. He owned and operated a bookstore, Seven Solitudes, from 1996 until 2000 and from 2002 worked at Lithuanian State Television on the programme "Culture House". He currently writes for the cultural weekly Siaures Atenai. He made his literary debut in 1988 with a collection of poetry, he has also published three other books of poetry, a two collections of essays, and a collection of humorous literature. Navakas received the National Award of Culture and Arts in 2006. His poetry has been translated into English, German, Swedish, Russian, Georgian, and other languages.

Tokyo Poetry Festival 2008 will feature 23 poets from Europe, Asia, US and Australia and 21 Japanese poet who will read free form poems, tanka, and haiku.

The festival is organized by Tokyo Poetry Festival Committee, directed by Meiji University professor, President of World Haiku Asssociation, poet Ban’ya Natsuishi. He visited Lithuania in September this year to hold a creative seminar on haiku within framework of “Vilnius-European Capital of Culture 2009” project “Haiku to Vilnius”.

The participation of Kęstutis Navakas at TPF 2008 is supported by Lithuanian Ministry of Culture.

More about Tokyo Poetry Festival: www.tokyopoetry.net