Mihai Eminescu is Romania’s national poet, the emblematic “star of the Romanian poetry”. He was born on the 15th of January, 1850, in Botoşani, a Moldavian town. Several years ago, his birthday became the National Day of the Romanian Culture. This day is, inter alia, the day when the prizes of the “Mihai Eminescu” National Poetry Contest are awarded, in the poet’s native town.
Two years ago, the prize for Opera Omnia went to Gabriel Chifu, vice-president of the Romanian Writers’ Union, under questionable circumstances, which led to protests among the Romanian writers and resulted in a scandal in the literary world: more or less official accusations, exclusions from the union, open letters and law suits. The exclusions of “non-obedient” writers have continued up to the present: 6 more writers were excluded several days ago (on January 11) from the Romanian Writers’ Union (USR). Below is an open letter of two writers, Dan Lungu and Radu Vancu, who demand the cancellation of these exclusions and the resignation of the Union’s Board, on grounds of abuse and non-transparency. Continue reading De ziua lui Eminescu, Radu Vancu cere demisia USR