Kestutis Navakas Lithuania

Kestutis Navakas (b. 1964 in Seiminiskes, Utenos region) 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 Navakas was culture columnist and literary critic for the newspapers Kauno diena and Noriu, and worked for Lithuanian State Television from 1998 to 1999 reviewing new books. He owned and ran a bookstore, Seven Solitudes, from 1996 until 2000 and, from 2002 to 2004, worked at Lithuanian State Television on the programme Culture House. He currently writes for the weekly publication Siaurës Atenai.

Navakas made his literary debut in 1988 with a collection of poetry, A Falling One Has Wings. He has also published three other books of poetry, a collection of essays, and a collection of humorous literature. Navakas received the National Award of Culture and Arts and the Julijonas Linde-Dobilas Prize in 2006.

He has translated the poetry of Walther von der Vogelweide, Else Lasker-Schuler, Ernst Jandl, Edgar Allan Poe, Lord Byron, Aloysius Betrand and others. His translations also include several plays and libretti. Navakas's poetry has itself been translated into English, German, Swedish, Russian, Georgian and other languages.

He resides and works in Kaunas.

(2008)