Tomas Venclova

Tomas Venclova
Venclova in Warsaw, 20 March 2007
Venclova in Warsaw, 20 March 2007
Born (1937-09-11) 11 September 1937 (age 87)
Klaipėda, Lithuania
Occupationphilologist, essayist, writer, poet
NationalityLithuanian
CitizenshipLithuanian
American [citation needed]
Alma materVilnius University
Notable awardsOrder of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas Order of the Cross of Vytis Order of Vytautas the Great Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland Lithuanian National Prize, Petrarca-Preis, Vilenica International Literary Prize, Zbigniew Herbert Award, Doctor Honoris Causa of Vilnius University

Tomas Venclova (born 11 September 1937) is a Lithuanian poet, prose writer, scholar, philologist and translator of literature. He is one of the five founding members of the Lithuanian Helsinki Group. In 1977, following his dissident activities, he was forced to emigrate and was deprived of his Soviet citizenship. Since 1980, he has taught Russian and Polish literature at Yale University. Considered a major figure in world literature, he has received many awards, including the Prize of Two Nations (received jointly with Czesław Miłosz), and The Person of Tolerance of the Year Award from the Sugihara Foundation, among other honors.