“Secret that Protects Me” by Grigore Vieru - Book of the Year at 2008 International Book Fair

“Secret that Protects Me” by Grigore Vieru was named the Book of the Year at the 2008 International Book Fair. The prize was offered by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Info-Prim Neo reports. At the Laureate Gala of the International Book Fair on September 4, Grigore Vieru said that he is against state awards in principle. “We live in a dispersed world and these prizes separate us instead of uniting,” he explained. The poet said that he is not angry with those that accept such prizes that became ordinary already, but he is angry with those that refuse the prize at first and announce it officially and then go to take the prize. The poet referred to composer Eugen Doga, who was honored with a 2008 State Award by President Vladimir Voronin on August 26. “I respect yet Ion Druta, who did not say that he refuses it, but did not go to take it either (the 2008 State Award – e.n.),” said Grigore Vieru. “We became estranged from Druta ideologically, but nevertheless he is the greatest Bessarabian prose writer,” the poet said. Vieru thanked yet for the prize, which was offered 50 years after the appearance of his first book. “Secret that Protects Me” was published at the Iasi Princeps Edit Publishing House in several copies for the 2008 International Book Fair. It will be then multiplied according to the demand. Other prizes and awards were offered to the participants in the seventeenth edition of the International Book Fair by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Education and Youth, the Chisinau City Hall, the National Library, the Writers’ Union, the National Book Chamber, publishing houses. The jury headed by the president of the Writers’ Union Mihai Cimpoi was formed of representatives of these institutions. Writers Aureliu Busuioc and Dumitru Matcovschi were awarded the “Opera Omnia” prize. Nicolae Popa won the prize for prose “Vasile Vasilache” for the novel “The Plane Smelled Like Fish”, Arc Publishing House, 2008. Vasile Romanciuc won the prize for poetry for “Rereading of Proverbs”, Stiinta Publishing House, 2008, while Ion Hadarca for “Gheara de fum”, Garuda-Art Publishing House, 2008. The prize “Remember” was offered to Larisa Turea for “Book of Famine”, Curtea Veche Publishing House, 2008, and to Eufrosinia Chersnovscaia “How Much does a Man Cost”, Rosspen Publishing House . Poet Savatie Bastovoi got the prize “Eutanasius” for “When Stones Speak” and “The Fool”, Cathisma Publishing House, 2008. The prize “Cultural Inheritance” went to Aurelian Danila and Elfridei Coroleova for the monogram “National Opera and Ballet House”, Prut Internaţional Publishing House, and to Targoviste Publishing House for “Macarie’s Missal of 1508”. The “Bibliophilis” prize was offered to Iulian Filip for “Noroc polyglot”, Princeps Publishing House, 2008. Poet Ianos Turcanu received the “Eros” prize for promoting love lyrics among youth. The Top Prize “Coressi” was offered to Universul Publishing House for achievements in the area of Book Art and to the publishing company Stiinta for Book Art. The Publishing House of the Year Prize went to Cartea Moldovei Publishing House for promoting the literary, artistic and cultural values of Moldova, and to Polirom Publishing House for promoting universal literature and literature for students.