Jonuškaitė – Augustinienė Birutė
Birutė Jonuškaitė-Augustinienė – novelist, poetess and essayist.
Born on 5.10.1959 into a Lithuanian family in Northeastern Poland.
In 1978 started studying in Vilnius University and graduated with a degree in journalism. Published five short story collections, seven novels, two books of essays, a collection of poetry, and one novella for children. She has also translated a number of Polish authors such as Czesław Miłosz, Wisława Szymborska, Jacek Dehnel, Bohdan Sławiński and others into Lithuanian. In addition to numerous literary awards, including Žemaitės award for the best prose work of the year, and Gabrielės Petkevičaitės-Bitės award for best short story collection, she has received recognition for her journalism work on culture from the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture, as well as Witold Hulewic Prize for the work in bringing Polish and Lithuanian literatures closer together. Her works have been translated into several languages, including German, English, Polish, French, Ukrainian, Spanish, Russian, Georgian, Byelorussian and Croatian. In 2015 her novel Maranta was in the short list of five best novels of the year. In 2016 awarded with Culture and Arts Prize by the Lithuanian Government and Liudas Dovydėnas award for the best novel Maranta. In 2019 her latest novel Maestro was published.
Member of Lithuanian Writers’ Union from 1994. From 2003 to 2018 served as Vice-President of the Lithuanian Writers’ Union. From 2018 on – President of the Lithuanian Writers’ Union.
B i b l i o g r a p h y :
Pateisinti save: collection of short stories. – Vilnius: Vaga, 1989.
Ievos neišvarė iš rojaus: novel. – Vilnius: Periodics, 1991.
Rugių laukas: short stories. – Punskas: Aušra, 1996.
Didžioji sala: novel, first book. – Vilnius: Vaga, 1997.
Didžioji sala: novel, second book. – Vilnius: Vaga, 1999.
Žalčių tiltas: short stories. – Vilnius: Lietuvos rašytojų sąjungos leidykla, 2002.
Vaikas pražilusiom akim: poems. – Punskas: Aušra, 2004.
Eksperimentas: essays and interview. – Vilnius: Gimtasis žodis, 2005.
Kregždėlaiškis: short stories. – Vilnius: Versus aureus, 2007.
Ūsuota Levuko istorija: novella for children. – Vilnius: Homo liber, 2007.
Baltų užtrauktukų tango: novel. – Vilnius: Lietuvos rašytojų sąjungos leidykla, 2009.
Užsagstyk mane: short stories. – Vilnius: Lietuvos rašytojų sąjungos leidykla, 2011.
Mūsų poetas: bilingual book about Cz. Miłosz (co-author B. Gruszka-Zych). – Vilnius: Naujoji Romuva, 2012.
Maranta: novel. – Vilnius: Lietuvos rašytojų sąjungos leidykla, 2015.
Maestro: novel. – Vilnius: Lietuvos rašytojų sąjungos leidykla, 2019.
B o o k s i n f o r e i g n l a n g u a g e s :
Jahreszeiten: short stories (translated by I. Brewing). – Berlin: Bodoni, 1998.
Вусатая гiсторыя Левака: аповесць (з літоўскай мовы пераклаў А. Аблажэй). – Vilnius: Homo liber, 2007.
Tylus žydėjimas: short stories (Georgian language). – Tbilisi: Kavkazkij dom, 2013.
Spalva ir forma: novelė (translated by J. Will). – Kn. The Dedalus Book of Lithuanian Literature. – Sawtry: Dedalus, 2014.
Gaisras: novella (translated by J. Will). – Kn. Best European Fiction 2015. – Dalkey Archive Press, 2014.
Saldūs įplyšimai: novella (translated by J. Will). – Almanac Lituanus, volume 61:4, 2015.
Ragana ir … : novella (translated by J. Will). – No Men, No cry, Center for International Studies, 2011
Nakties šviesuliai: poetry collection in Czech and Polish, – Broumov, 2018.
S. Kowalewskis. Akacijų medus. – 1994.
Maištingas Czesławo Miłoszo autoportretas: interviews. – Vilnius: Alma littera, 1997.
Kun. Tadeusz Dajczer. Kai meldiesi. – Vilnius: Katalikų pasaulis, 2001.
Kraków–Wilno = Krokuva–Vilnius: anthology of Lithuanian and Polish poetry (together with V. Dekšnys). – Kraków: Oficyna Konfraterni Poetów, 2005.
B. Gruszka-Zych. Miegu su tavim po oda: poems. – Kaunas: Nemunas, 2006.
A book of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania = Кніга Вялікага княства Літоўскага = Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės knyga = Księga Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego: towards the traditions of European Community: a joint publication of scientists and writers from Belarus, Lithuania and Poland. – Sejny: Fundacja Pogranicze, 2008.
Pajauta, Lizdeikos dukra (fragments).
J. Dehnel. Lialė: novel. – Vilnius: Kronta, 2010.
M. Rusinek. Mažasis Šopenas: story in verses. – Vilnius: Homo liber, 2010.
Laiko pameistrys = Чаляднiк часу = Czeladnik czasu: knyga Česlovo Milošo 100-osioms gimimo metinėms. – Vilnius: Homo liber, Lithuanian Writers’ Union Fund, 2010.
J. Illg. Gražūs laikai: Czesław Miłosz and Wisława Szymborska. – Vilnius: Homo liber, 2011.
B. Sławiński. Tiramisu karalienė: novel. – Vilnius: Baltos lankos, 2011.
B. Gruszka-Zych. Mano poetas: book about Cz. Miłosz. – Vilnius: Naujoji Romuva, 2012.
M. Tulli. Itališkos špilkos: novel. – Vilnius: Lietuvos rašytojų sąjungos leidykla, 2014.
J. Rudnicki. Čekų šuns mirtis: novellas. – Žurnalas „Metai“ Nr. 5-6, 2015.
Atminties kultūrų dialogai Ukrainos, Lietuvos, Baltarusijos (ULB) erdvėje (translated publications). – Vilnius: Lietuvos istorijos instituto leidykla, 2015.
A. Skowrońska. Lenkijos abėcėlė. – Varszaw: Muchomor sp z o.o., 2016.
F. Bernatowicz. Pajauta, Lizdeikos dukra arba lietuviai XIV amžiuje. – ( Anthology of Lithuanian Literature, volume I). – Vilnius: Lietuvos literatūros ir tautosakos institutas, 2016.
Kun. M. Marszałek. Mano širdies kunigas. – Vilnius: 2016.
M. Guśniowska. Po grybu (Pod-Grzybek): play. – 2016.
M. Guśniowska. Ony: play. – 2016.
H. Krall. Širdžių karalius vėl suka arklius: novel – Vilnius: Homo liber, 2017
J. Korczak. Vaiko teisė į pagarbą. – Vilnius: Vaiko teisių apaugos kontrolieriaus įstaiga, 2016.
A. Krepštul. Gyvenimas ir kūryba. – Vilnius, 2016.
G. Kasdepke. Aš nenoriu būti princesė. – Vilnius:”700 eilučių“, 2017
H. Krall. Širdžių karalius ir vėl suka arklius. Novel. – Vilnius: Homo liber, 2017
R. Piątkowska. Kuri iš Jūsų Malala? – Vilnius: 700 eilučių, 2018
Janusz Korczak. Kai mylėti vaiką. Vaikas šeimoje. – Vilnius: Vaiko teisių apsaugos kontrolieriaus įstaiga, 2018
C o m p i l e d :
Žodžiai ir spalvos: anthology of the plein air of Byellorussian, Polish and Lithuanian poets and painters. – Vilnius: Homo liber, 2008.
Karalių delnuose: anthology of the plein air of Byellorussian, Polish, Ukrainian and Lithuanian poets. – Vilnius: Homo liber, 2008.
Diemedžio vakarai: anthology of the plein air of Byellorussian, Georgian and Lithuanian poets and painters. – Vilnius: Homo liber, 2010.
Diemedžio vakarai II: trilingual anthology of the plein air of Byellorussian, Georgian and Lithuanian poets and painters. – Vilnius: Homo liber, 2010.
Diemedžio vakarai III: bilingual anthology of the plein air of Georgian and Lithuanian women prose-writers. – 2010.
A w a r d s :
1989 m. Antanas Jonynas award for the best young prose-writers’ book „Pateisinti save“.
1996 m. Žemaitė award for the collection of short stories „Rugių laukas“.
2002 m. Petras Cvirka award for the best book of novellas „Žalčių tiltas“.
2004 m. Lithuanian Ministry for Culture award for journalism in culture.
2006 m. Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė award for the book „Eksperimentas“.
2006 m. short prose festival „Imbiero vakarai“ award for the best novella.
2006 m. Witold Hulewicz award (in Warszaw) for bringing together Lithuanian and Polish literatures.
2007 m. „Varpų“ literary award for the cycle of short stories.
2009 m. Jonas Marcinkevičius award for the novel „Baltų užtrauktukų tango“.
2015 m. Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė commemorative medal „Tarnaukite Lietuvai“ for philanthropic activities, especially for the promotion and support for young artists.
2015 m. novel „Maranta“ nominated at the short list Book of the Year and listed among the twelve most creative books.
2016 m. Republic of Lithuania Government award for culture and arts.
2016 m. Republic of Poland National award Golden Cross for merit in development of Polish and Lithuanian cultural relations, promotion of Polish culture and cooperation with Poland.
2016 m. Liudas Dovydėnas award for the best new Lithuanian novel (for the novel “Maranta”).
2019 m. Lithuanian Writers’ Unions’ General Assembly award.