On Friday, 16 October, at the parliament of the Republic of Latvia, an international jury assessed the candidates for the annual Baltic Assembly (BA) Prize and determined that the Prize for Literature should be awarded to Inga Ābele for her novel Paisums (High Tide), the BA Prize for the Arts should be awarded to Estonian artist Marko Mäetamm, and the BA Prize for Science should be awarded to Leonardas Sauka, a folklore researcher from Lithuania

At the meeting of the Joint Judging Committee, experts in literature, arts and science admitted that this year it was particularly hard to determine the prize winners because achievements of all nominees have been acknowledged beyond the borders of the Baltic States and have received international recognition. This year’s winners were the candidates who could set a vision for future on the basis of past experience. 

Guntis Berelis, member of the Joint Judging Committee indicated that „After the intellectual flush in the 1990’s Inga Ābele rediscovered that books can be read. Her works combine the newly-acquired intellectualism and the art of telling old stories.”

Artist Marko Mäetamm was recognised as the winner for his highly professional and successful exhibitions, as well as achievements during recent years in the arts. The Joint Judging Committee noted that his works urge the audience to think about human values even during this hard period when our lives are to great extent ruled by bank loans. “The essence of his art is the question: How come human life started to equal to life-long bank loan?” said Johannes Saar, Deputy Chairman of the Joint Judging Committee from Estonia. 

This year the BA Prize for Science was awarded to Leonardas Sauka from Lithuania for his fundamental study into the folklore heritage titled Eglė žalčių karalienė, which he conducted in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and other countries. Members of the Joint Judging Committee acknowledged that the future of small nations is tied to ethnography, and thus Leonardas Sauka’s contributions to research will enable future generations to better understand the past. 

Prizes will be awarded at the annual BA Session that will be held in Vilnius, Lithuania on 26 – 28 November 2009. The monetary prize is EUR 5000.

The Joint Judging Committee consisted of nine experts in literature, arts and science from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. 

Other candidates for the BA Prize:

In Literture 
•Romualdas Granauskas (Lithuania), prose writer, playwright, was nominated for the archetypical imagery and vivid portrayal of the identity of the three Baltic nations and his active participation in the process of creation of cultural values, as well as the narratives Šunys danguje (Dogs in Heaven, 2005), novels Kenotafas (Cenotaph, 2005) and Rūkas virš slėniu (Fog over the Valleys, 2007).
•Ene Mihkelson (Estonia), poet and prose writer, was nominated for her historical philosophical novel Katkuhaud (Plague Grave, 2007), in which she focuses on identity problems in the course of the time and relies on traditions within the happening of things.

In the Arts
•Antanas Žukauskas (Lithuania), artist, sculptor, was nominated for professionally communicating values of the past in the fine arts, striking the right balance between the modern and the traditional, and for promoting the Baltic identity in the world. 
•Juris Karlsons (Latvia), composer, professor, was nominated for his high-quality creative achievements in the field of symphonic music during the past three years. 

In Science
•Dr. Mārtiņš Boiko (Latvia) was nominated for his monograph Lietuviešu sutartines un to Baltijas konteksti (Lithuanian sutartines and Their Baltic Contexts), in which he examines and compares old Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian melodies. The researched material testifies to the cultural and historical link among the Baltic States, as well as to similarities in their folklore traditions and rites. 

•Gabrielle Hogan-Brun, Uldis Ozoliņš, Meilute Ramoniene, Mart Rannut, Ina Druviete nominated for the monograph Language Politics and Practices in the Baltic States (2009) – an overview of the language situation which examines recent changes, as well as the linguistic, political and social consequences of language policy both locally and internationally.

Information on the BA Prize

The BA Prize was established in 1994 with the aim to facilitate development of literature, arts and science in the Baltic States and to recognise the most excellent achievements in these spheres. 

The BA Prize for literature is awarded to an author of a novel, play, collection of poetry, stories, or essays written in Estonian, Latvian or Lithuanian. The first publication of the work should be within the past three years.

The BA Prize for the Arts is awarded to an author or performance artist for a piece of art or a cycle of works in the fine arts, applied arts, music, architecture, theatre or cinema that has been created during the past three years. This prize can also be awarded to a director, soloist, actor, ballet dancer or a group of performance artists for excellent artistic performance presented within the past three years.

The BA Prize for Science is awarded to the author of an outstanding scientific work or a research series in the humanities, social sciences or sciences if the work has international relevance, facilitates development of science in the Baltic region and has been published during the past three years.

Information on the Baltic Assembly

The Baltic Assembly is an interparliamentary cooperation organisation of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania which was founded on 8 November 1991. The Baltic Assembly consists of 12 to 20 members from each country’s parliament. The Baltic Assembly is a coordinating and consultative organisation which has a right to express its opinion to national parliaments, governments and the Baltic Council of Ministers in the form of resolutions, decisions, declarations and recommendations; it can also request answers from these institutions on activities regarding cross-border issues that are on the BA agenda.

Pictures from the meeting of the Joint Judging Committee and announcements of the Prize winners are available at: www.flickr.com/saeima

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