Poet Novak and dancer Mejač get top honours in culture

Novak started writing in late Modernism but his works have the features of Postmodernism. He was lauded by the prize jury as having played a "significant role in the Slovenian cultural landscape for 40 years as a poet, playwright, translator, author, socially-engaged intellectual, literary scholar and university professor".

He used all of his skills and poet's instruments in his "magnificent" epic poem The Door of No Return, which combines epic narrative and lyric poetry, free and classical verse and poetry forms into a "grand fresco of Slovenia's 20th century".

Mejač, only the third ballet dancer to win the Prešeren Prize for lifetime achievement, made a profound mark on 20th century Slovenian ballet through more than 80 solo roles, as well as as director, choreographer and teacher.

He performed 84 solo roles in his career as a dancer but remained a cornerstone of Slovenian ballet for more than two decades after retiring from the stage at the age of 45.

Apart from serving two terms as artistic director of Ljubljana Ballet, Mejač has also choreographed more than 60 drama theatre productions, as well as many productions for amateur ensembles.