Poet. Jan Smrek received recognition as an award-winning Slavic poet. Born the son of a farmer, he was educated in rural folk schools. After his father's death, he was place in an orphanage at age nine. He began writing while in high school. During World War I, he served in the Austro-Hungarian Army on the Palestinian front, where he became ill with malaria. After finishing business training, he attended Modran Teachers' Institute from 1919 to 1921 and the Evangelical Theological Faculty from 1921 to 1924. In 1921 he published his first collection of poems, "Convicted of Eternal Thirst." He became interested in journalism and left college. By 1924 he had a position as a journalist for the "Slovak Diary" and by 1925 he was the editor of the "National News" in Martin. In 1925 his collection of poems, "Galloping Days," was about the adventures of the youth. From 1925 to 1938, he was the editor of "Edition of Young Slovak Authors" in Prague and by 1930 he had relocated to Prague. He published a literary magazine, "Elan." At the beginning of World War II, he returned to Slovakia and his magazine became the magazine of Slavic writers. From 1945 to 1948, he was the head of the cultural department at the Commission of Information. In 1950 he managed a publishing house, Slovak Writer. Starting in 1949 he began to translate poems into the Slavic language. He did not publish any poetry for the next ten years. He wrote libretto to the opera by Jan Cikker in 1957 and 1963. He published two-volume memoirs in 1968 and 1989. His collection on the subject of Communist, "Against the Night" was published posthumously. He received the State Prize in 1929, the Landscape Award in 1933, the K. Gottwald State Prize in 1954, the National Artist Title in 1966, and in 1978 the Work Series Award and Gold Medal of the Hungarian PEN-Club. In 1988 a memorial plaque to him was erected on the occasion of his late 90th birthday at the Municipal Office building in his home town of Melcice Lieskoy. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, a monument was unveiled in August of 1998 in the newly built park in his hometown. The same year, the 18th World Congress of Poets was held in Bratislava and the Ján Smrek Prize was award to Tomas Tranströmer, who would become the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature recipient.
Poet. Jan Smrek received recognition as an award-winning Slavic poet. Born the son of a farmer, he was educated in rural folk schools. After his father's death, he was place in an orphanage at age nine. He began writing while in high school. During World War I, he served in the Austro-Hungarian Army on the Palestinian front, where he became ill with malaria. After finishing business training, he attended Modran Teachers' Institute from 1919 to 1921 and the Evangelical Theological Faculty from 1921 to 1924. In 1921 he published his first collection of poems, "Convicted of Eternal Thirst." He became interested in journalism and left college. By 1924 he had a position as a journalist for the "Slovak Diary" and by 1925 he was the editor of the "National News" in Martin. In 1925 his collection of poems, "Galloping Days," was about the adventures of the youth. From 1925 to 1938, he was the editor of "Edition of Young Slovak Authors" in Prague and by 1930 he had relocated to Prague. He published a literary magazine, "Elan." At the beginning of World War II, he returned to Slovakia and his magazine became the magazine of Slavic writers. From 1945 to 1948, he was the head of the cultural department at the Commission of Information. In 1950 he managed a publishing house, Slovak Writer. Starting in 1949 he began to translate poems into the Slavic language. He did not publish any poetry for the next ten years. He wrote libretto to the opera by Jan Cikker in 1957 and 1963. He published two-volume memoirs in 1968 and 1989. His collection on the subject of Communist, "Against the Night" was published posthumously. He received the State Prize in 1929, the Landscape Award in 1933, the K. Gottwald State Prize in 1954, the National Artist Title in 1966, and in 1978 the Work Series Award and Gold Medal of the Hungarian PEN-Club. In 1988 a memorial plaque to him was erected on the occasion of his late 90th birthday at the Municipal Office building in his home town of Melcice Lieskoy. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, a monument was unveiled in August of 1998 in the newly built park in his hometown. The same year, the 18th World Congress of Poets was held in Bratislava and the Ján Smrek Prize was award to Tomas Tranströmer, who would become the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature recipient.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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