Nicolae Esinencu recieved the Top Prize “Opera Omnia” at the Writes Union Awards Gala held in Chisinau on June 13. The Union’s Board conferred the most important honorific titles for literary work in 2013. The Excellence Award was given to writers Leo Butnaru and Vlad Zbarciog, the Cultural Relations Award to writers Nicolae Spataru, while the Board’s Award to writer and journalist Ghenadie Postolachi, IPN reports.

Besides the given awards, an anonymous jury consisting of seven art critics of Moldova conferred awards to writers according to the axiological criteria, literary genres and authenticity of the texts. The award in the Poetry category was handed over to Nicolae Popa, in literary criticism – to Mihai Cimpoi and Grigore Chiper, while Stefan Poiata was awarded in the Publicistic Essay category. Writer Alexandru Cosmescu got the award for literary debut.

Only the members of the Writers Union can submit applications for taking part in the contest. The beginners are an exception. They present the printed book to the Union’s Board, which is then assessed by the jury.

The jury decided not to confer prizes for prose this year, even if there were three candidates. “Literature implies competition. This year there wasn’t competition,” president of the Writers Union Arcadie Suceveanu has told IPN. According to the writer, there were many disappointed people, not only the three candidates in the Prose section. “There were submitted over 100 books. The selection and awarding process is a complex one. We start six-seven months before the gala. The jury’s opinions are autonomous,” he stated.

The prize in the Children’s Book cattery went to writer Boris Schitsko. The cultural association “Compassion and Spirituality” handed over a special prize to writer Dumitru Crudu for the novel “An American in Chisinau”.

The Award Gala was held on June 13 in order to commemorate the depravation of thousands of intellectuals to Siberia. Those attending observed a moment’s silence in their memory.