Struga, 25 June 2026 (MIA) — Several poetry readings and book launches are set to take place during the 65th Struga Poetry Evenings festival’s second day, MIA’s Struga correspondent reports.

One of the readings will feature the poets shortlisted for the 2026 Miladinov Brothers Award, given the best poetry book published between two SPE festivals. Julijana Velichkovska will be featured in a special event featuring her book “Reißverschluss,” the winner of last year’s award.

The festival schedule also includes the launch of books published by the SPE in its Pleiades series, alongside the release of “Wreath Bearers: Conversations on the Shore,” a book of poet interviews by Dime Ratajkoski.

Later in the day, a “Poetry Café” networking event will gather publishers, agents and cultural workers through the Versopolis network.

Additionally, there will be a special event featuring “New Famous Phrases” by Daniel Hinds, winner of this year’s Bridges of Struga Award, sponsored by UNESCO.

The festival’s “Nights without Punctuation” reading will begin at midnight. It will showcase poets whose poetry is featured in “Stone and Earth,” an anthology of Macedonian poetry edited by Ivan Dzheparoski.

The SPE began with Dutch poet and translator Anneke Brassinga planting a tree sapling at the Poetry Park and reading poems ahead of the official opening of the festival Wednesdaw evening.

The festival was officially opened with the traditional reading of Konstantin Miladinov’s “Longing for the South” and lighting the festival fire at Miladinov Brothers Cultural Center, followed by the “Meridians” poetry reading.

The 65th SPE festival is being held under the theme “Where Poetry Lives” in Struga from June 24 to 29 under the auspices of President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova with financial support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.