Meta Kušar
{{Short description|Slovene poet and essayist (born 1952)}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Meta Kušar
| image = Meta Kušar.jpg
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1952|05|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = Ljubljana, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now in Slovenia)
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| occupation = Poet and essayist
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| notableworks = Kaj je poetično ali ura ilegale
| awards = {{Awd|Rožanc Award|2012|for Kaj je poetično ali ura ilegale}}
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Meta Kušar (born 10 May 1952) is a Slovene poet and essayist, known for her lyrical and reflective writing. Her work combines elements of spirituality, philosophy, and national identity, and she has been an influential voice in contemporary Slovenian literature.{{cite web |title=Meta Kušar |url=https://www.lyrikline.org/en/authors/meta-kusar#bio |website=Lyrikline |publisher=Haus für Poesie |access-date=17 May 2025}}
Literary career
Kušar is recognized for both her poetry and essays, marked by their depth, symbolism, and philosophical undercurrents. Her poetry often explores metaphysical themes and reflects on Slovenian culture and language.{{cite journal |last=Kramberger |first=Tadeja |title=Meta Kušar's Poetic World: A Hermeneutic Approach |journal=Primerjalna književnost |volume=33 |issue=2 |year=2010 |pages=91–102}}
In 2012, Kušar received the prestigious Rožanc Award for her collection of essays, Kaj je poetično ali ura ilegale ("What is Poetic or the Hour of the Underground"). The award is given annually for the best collection of essays in Slovene.{{cite news |title=Rožančeva nagrada Meti Kušar |url=https://www.delo.si/kultura/knjizevni-listi/rozanceva-nagrada-meti-kusar.html |work=Delo |date=14 September 2012 |language=sl}}
She has participated in international literary festivals, including the Days of Poetry and Wine in Ptuj, and her work has been translated into multiple languages.{{cite web |title=Meta Kušar |url=https://versopolis.com/poet/56/meta-kusar |website=Versopolis |access-date=17 May 2025}}
Published works
= Poetry =
- Madeira (1993)
- Svila in Lan (Silk and Flax, 1997){{cite book |title=Slovene Literature: A Selection |editor-last=Juvan |editor-first=Marko |publisher=Litterae Slovenicae |year=2005}}
- Ljubljana (2004){{cite web |title=Meta Kušar: Ljubljana |url=https://www.lyrikline.org/en/poems/ljubljana-6503 |website=Lyrikline |access-date=17 May 2025}}
- Jaspis (Jasper, 2008){{cite book |title=Jaspis |author=Meta Kušar |publisher=Beletrina |year=2008}}
- Vrt (The Garden, 2014){{cite book |title=Vrt |author=Meta Kušar |publisher=Beletrina |year=2014}}
- Azur/Himmelblau (2015){{cite book |title=Azur / Himmelblau |author=Meta Kušar |publisher=Edition Korrespondenzen |year=2015}}
- Zmaj (The Dragon, 2021){{cite book |title=Zmaj |author=Meta Kušar |publisher=Beletrina |year=2021}}
= Essays =
- Kaj je poetično ali ura ilegale (What is Poetic or the Hour of the Underground, 2011){{cite book |title=Kaj je poetično ali ura ilegale |author=Meta Kušar |publisher=Beletrina |year=2011}}
= Interviews =
- Intervju (Interview, 2009){{cite book |title=Intervju |author=Meta Kušar |publisher=Beletrina |year=2009}}
Themes and influence
Kušar’s writing often touches on transcendence, identity, and poetic consciousness. Critics have noted her engagement with spiritual and national themes, particularly how she fuses poetic form with philosophical inquiry.{{cite journal |last=Juvan |first=Marko |title=The Poetic Essence in the Work of Meta Kušar |journal=Slavistična revija |volume=59 |issue=3 |year=2011 |pages=327–342 |language=sl}} Her poetry is also recognized for its strong sense of place, notably the city of Ljubljana, which features as both subject and symbol in her work.
Legacy
Meta Kušar is considered one of the leading voices of Slovene contemporary poetry. Her contributions to literature have influenced a generation of younger writers, and she continues to play an active role in Slovenia’s literary community.{{cite web |title=Meta Kušar at Beletrina |url=https://beletrina.si/avtor/meta-kusar |publisher=Beletrina |access-date=17 May 2025}} Her books remain central in academic and literary discussions about post-independence Slovenian poetry.{{cite book |last1=Vodopivec |first1=Peter |title=A History of Slovenia: From the Beginning to the Present |publisher=Lit Verlag |year=2018 |isbn=978-3-643-90916-9}}
References
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Category:Slovenian women poets
Category:Writers from Ljubljana
Category:University of Ljubljana alumni
Category:Slovenian women essayists
Category:20th-century Slovenian women writers
Category:20th-century Slovenian poets
Category:21st-century Slovenian women writers
Category:21st-century Slovenian poets