Marius Burokas’ collection for Parthian, Now I Understand, translated and selected by Rimas Uzgiris, reveals the unbreakable connection he feels with Vilnius, as well as the comfort he finds within literature: books are my/ paths/ and garden/my shelter /and clinic. His words aim to capture the details our eyes might miss, and dip in and out of religion, history, literature, and mythology to describe a stark reality of life and death and the emptiness and beauty that can be found in both. Marius states: ‘I am a poet and translator. Sometimes I write, mostly about Vilnius – the strangest and most mystical city. Poetry is a way to think. It’s an internal map of Europe, Asia, Lithuania and the world.’
Now I Understand is part of the Parthian Baltic project which was launched in time for the London Book Fair 2018. The poetry collections were launched at the Wheatsheaf Parthian Poetry Festival in April 2018.
Marius Burokas is a poet, writer, translator, and editor of the esteemed Vilnius Review. Marius was also awarded the title of ‘Contemporary Book Smuggler’ as he spends his time tirelessly reading, writing and sharing his knowledge of the best literature from Lithuania and abroad. His poetry has won a number of awards, including The Young Yotvingian and Antanas Miskinis literary prizes, and has been published in eight other languages. In 2001 he participated in an International Writing Programme in Iowa and has translated the work by, Jeanette Winterson, Charles Bukowski and Philip Roth. He is a member of the Lithuanian Writers’ Union and lives in Vilnius.