Encounters

THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ”LIM POETRY READINGS”
The Priboj Thread of Golden Poetry
The winner of that first year was Dobrica Erić, who wrote: ”I came to the Lim, to have a close up dream”. The guests of this city were grand poets such as Desanka Maksimović and Vasko Popa, Mira Alečković and Dragomir Brajković, Ćamil Sijarić and Slobodan Rakitić. This year too, many new poets, names to remember, are arriving to the banks of the Lim

People from its banks say that everything is poetry on the Lim. ”Between the Lim, Polimac and poetry, one can put an equality sign.” Therefore, a long time ago, in 1969, when a group of young writers initiated a poetry festival in their just established Club in Priboj, the Workers University ”Pivo Karamatijević” supported them from the first moment, and the then very strong Vehicle Manufacturer ”Priboj” (FAP) became their sponsor. The later famous ”Lim Poetry Readings” originate from that festival.
– The cultural life in Priboj flourished after the opening of FAP and the economical upswing. The city was famous throughout Yugoslavia as a venue of cultural events. Later on, economical difficulties did influence limiting the expansion of culture, but I proudly emphasize that it has never ceased existing – says Borka Puzović, manager of the Cultural Home in Priboj. – We have a cultural tradition here, there are authors and a nurtured audience. We have always had the support of the local authorities. Sometimes there is more money, sometimes less, but there always has to be some for culture.
Special attention is given to this year’s jubilee ”Lim Poetry Reading”, the fortieth in a row. Memories lead to the first years, when the winner was selected by the jury consisting of: Ćamil Sijarić, Vojo Maksimović and Drago Bojović. It was when the poet from Gruža, Dobrica Erić, wrote the verses: ”I came to the Lim, to have a close up dream”. Ever since, besides the financial prize, the winner is awarded with a printed book of his or her poetry.
– This year’s competition has already been announced, we have works arriving, for the moment only from Serbia and Montenegro, but we will try to have participants from other Southern-Slavic lands as well, as we did before. The works will, like any year before, be evaluated by eminent literary authors, who will select ten best cycles of poems. Following our tradition, we will promote the book of last year’s winner Nataša Pavićević; we’ll have Dobrica Erić, the first winner of the ”Lim Poetry Readings”, as a guest, and local poets will also have their reading (some among them are the founders of the Young Writers Club festival) – announces Borka Puzović. – We’ll also have an exhibition of all previous winning books of poetry, a theatrical play, a celebrative issue of the Lim Poetry News printed, and promote the book of the Priboj literary authors. We are planning a painting exhibition and visiting the cultural and historical sites of the Lim valley.
Thanks to this famous event, many great poets told their verses in Priboj during the previous four decades: Desanka Maksimović, Vasko Popa, Ljubivoje Ršumović, Mira Alečković, Jure Kaštelan, Darinka Jevrić, Dušan Kostić, Dragomir Brajković, Ćamil Sijarić, Slobodan Rakitić... Renato Percan, Ivan Rabuzin, Vangel Naumovski, Aleksandar Cvetković… painted here. Danijel Kir, Ksenija Zečević, Tripo Simonuti, Jovan Jovičić... performed their music.

***

Cooperation and Support
The ”Lim Children Poetry Readings” were born from the ”Lim Poetry Readings” in 1979, and they take place every spring. The Festival of Children Drama and the Municipality Reciting Show are also regular events.
– We also support the amateur painters of Priboj through cultural programs. We support the events of the Tourism Organization and Homeland Museum. There are also the cinema, literary readings, theatrical plays, cultural and entertainment shows – says Borka Puzović.

***

Culture is a Long Nurturing
Already in the 1970s, Priboj had a jazz orchestra, tambouritza band, and the FAP cultural and artistic society performed around the world. Theater has entered many homes in Priboj, and this is where remarkable actors such as Danilo Lazović, Biljana Vujović or Miki Damjanović come from.