100th anniversary of the birth of Ján Smrek

200 Sk commemorative silver coin

Ján Smrek (16.12.1898 – 8.12.1982) – poet, translator and editor, an important representative and promoter of Slovak culture, put a new feeling of life into Slovak poetry, based on the joy of life, celebration of love, emotional and sensual self-realization, characteristic especially of the collections: Galloping Days, Divine Knots, Only the Eyes and the reflective composition The Poet and the Woman. The end of the thirties brought a change, when light impressions and carefree attitudes were replaced by a tone of grief over wartime suffering: The Feast, The Well. In the fifties, he was not allowed to publish new poetry because of his disagreement with the totalitarian regime, so he devoted his attention mainly to translation and writing childrens’ books. After a long break, he published the collections: Picture of the World, Strings, Don’t break my Circles and a book of memoirs Poetry, my Love. He protested against totalitarianism in poems which were published in 1993 in the collection Against the Night.

In the thirties in Prague, he played a major role in promoting and spreading of Slovak culture, by establishing the cultural monthly Elan, and by successful editing a Series of works by young Slovak authors.