The 12th International Festival "Struga Poetry Evenings" has wrapped up in Struga, with the Burgas literary festival "Svyato Slovo" ("Holy Word") among those honored. The gathering brought together writers from Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and Kosovo, hosted by Macedonian and Albanian authors from the region.

The event was organized by the "Bran 2010" association, chaired by Dimche Shipinkarovski — son of the Macedonian literary figure Petko Shipinkarovski, in whose memory the event has been held for six years now.

Bulgaria was represented by Burgas writers Roza Boyanova, Vili Koleva and Nikolay Fenerski. All three received personal certificates, while the Burgas festival "Svyato Slovo" was given international recognition for its contribution to strengthening international literary ties, regional friendship and the power of the written word.

The Burgas authors, in turn, presented the organizers and fellow participants with the magazine "More" ("Sea") and the anthology "Svyato Slovo" — both publications produced with the support of Burgas Municipality.

In Struga, participants gave readings in the courtyard of St. Nedelya Church and attended the awards ceremony for the "Macedonian Poetic Treasury" competition. They also presented issue 21 of the literature and culture magazine "Branuvanja," which features works by the Burgas writers as well.

Festival guests also visited the rock-hewn church of St. Archangel Michael near Radozhda, whose murals date back to the 13th–14th centuries. There was also a boat trip on Lake Ohrid, and participants toured the sights of Struga — a town on the Drin River known as a literary hub in the region.