A highlight of his work is his collection of poetry entitled Tretje oko (Third Eye) from 1979 (Photo: alchetron.com)

He will receive the Gold Coin Prize at the prestigious Veronika poetry prize ceremony at Celje Castle late in August.

The jury honoured the Trieste-based author for his contribution to the Slovenian culture and literature and his bridging of the gap between cultures.

His work is marked by his home environment and the fact that he is a member of the Slovenian minority in Italy, the jury said.

Swinging between modernism and new movements in poetry, Kravos's work is marked by simplicity, accessibility and humour. The jury also praised his use of the language and metaphors.

A highlight of his work is his collection of poetry entitled Tretje oko (Third Eye) from 1979, which critics listed among crucial literary achievements of the time.

The collection also earned him the 1982 Prešeren Fund Prize for extraordinary achievements.

Kravos is an active member of the Slovenian community in the city of Trieste, being a long-term editor of the ZTT publisher of Slovenian books, a co-founder of the Zaliv magazine and an official of the Slovenian Club in Trieste and the Alliance of Slovenian Cultural Associations.

He has also served as secretary of the Slovenian Writers' Association and the head of the Slovenian PEN Centre in Ljubljana.

Kravos was born in Montecalvo Irpino in southern Italy, where his family was deported by the Italian Fascist regime. He, however, spent his childhood in Trieste, where he attended Slovenian language schools.

After graduating at the University of Ljubljana in 1969, he worked for several publishers in Trieste and was also Slovenian language teacher at the University of Trieste.

The Golden Coin award, conferred by the Fit media publisher, was first given out in 2005. It has been awarded to some of Slovenia's finest poets: Ciril Zlobec, Tone Pavček, Kajetan Kovič, Ivan Minatti, Miroslav Košuta, Neža Maurer, Veno Taufer, Svetlana Makarovič, Niko Grafenauer, Tone Kuntner and Gustav Januš. (Source: STA)