The festival began in 1961 in Struga, then People's Republic of Macedonia with Macedonian poets only, while in 1963 it expanded its list of participants with poets from all around the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Miladinov Brothers Award was established for the best poetry book published between two consecutive festivals. By 1966 the event turned into an international cultural festival. The Golden Wreath international award was established in the same year and its first recipient was Robert Rozhdestvensky. In 2003, in close cooperation with UNESCO, the Festival established another international award called The Bridges of Struga, for a best debut poetry book by a young author. During its long successful existence, the festival has hosted about 4,000 poets, translators, essayists and literary critics from about 95 countries of the world. The festival has awarded some of the world's most eminent literary figures, including several Nobel Prize for Literature winners such as Joseph Brodsky, Eugenio Montale, Pablo Neruda and Seamus Heaney, the first African member of the French Academy Léopold Sédar Senghor who was also a President of Senegal, the official royal Poet Laureate Ted Hughes, W. H. Auden who is regarded by many as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century and many others. A point of interest is that the festival often awarded foreign poets who were considered dissidents in their countries, including for example the Russian exiled poet Joseph Brodsky, the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, the Americanbeatnik Allen Ginsberg, the Soviet bard Bulat Okudzhava and many others. In memory of the laureates, the Park of Poetry featuring memorial boards dedicated to each of them was established near the Struga Cultural Center.
Organization
The festival has offices in Struga and in Skopje and is organized by a Festival Board, which consists of knowledgeable professionals in the field of poetry.
Events
The festival consists of several events held at different locations:
Meridijani a poetry reading by various international poets in the Cultural Centre following the opening ceremony.
Portret na Laureatot an event devoted to the year's main award recipient traditionally held in the church of St. Sofia in the nearby city of Ohrid usually accompanied by classical music, opera or domestic or foreign ethnic music performance.
Noći bez interpukcijamultimedia artistic events featuring experimental forms of poetic presentations, which can also include other arts like music and video art.
Other events include workshops, round-table discussions on various social topics and their influence on poetry, etc. Another event in the so-called Caravan of Poetry, which consists of poetry performances around the country. Usually, after the end of the Festival, the Festival also organizes poetry reading in the national capital, Skopje.
Awards
Zlaten Venec na Poezijata, the main international award given to a world-renowned living poet for life achievement in the field of poetry. The recipient's name is publicized usually several months in advance.
Brakja Miladinovci for a best book published between two festivals.
The Bridges of Struga, for a best debuting author.
Iselenička gramota, for poets from the Macedonian diaspora.
Golden Wreath laureates
Publications
The Struga Poetry Evenings organization is also involved in book publishing.
