Davorin Lenko

Davorin Lenko

Davorin Lenko (1984) studied comparative literature at Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana where he graduated in 2012.  He is the author of three prose books. His short stories, poems, and essays have been published in the most visible Slovene literary media (literary journals, online magazines and national radio). In 2014, he received the Kresnik Award for the best novel of the year for Telesa v temi [Bodies in the Dark] as well as the Critic’s Choice Award. The novel was also translated into German by the Slovene Writers’ Association. His 2016 collection of short stories Postopoma zapuščati Misantropolis [Gradually Leaving Misantropolis] was nominated for the award Novo Mesto Short. In 2017 he published the novel Bela pritlikavka [White Dwarf] and in the spring of 2019, the monodrama Psiho [Psycho] (director: Jaša Koceli, actor: Domen Valič), for which Lenko wrote the script, was staged in Ljubljana. Both works received favorable critical reviews. He is the receiver of three writers’ scholarships, his prose was published in various Slovenian and foreign anthologies. Since 2018 he has the status of freelancer in the field of culture and dedicates himself entirely to writing. He lives in Solčava where he works on ‘The Woman’ trilogy and on a yet untitled book of poetry.

Prose:

  • 2020 Psihoporn [Psychoporn], collection of short stories, Cankarjeva založba
  • 2017 Bela pritlikavka [White Dwarf], novel, Cankarjeva založba
  • 2016 Postopoma zapuščati Misantropolis [Gradually Leaving Misantropolis], collection of short stories, Center za slovensko književnost
  • 2013 Telesa v temi [Bodies in the Dark], novel, Center za slovensko književnost

Theatre:

  • 2019 Psiho [Psycho], monodrama, Gledališče Glej

Translations:

Books:

  • 2015 Körper im Dunkeln (translation of the novel Telesa v temi into German), Društvo slovenskih pisateljev

Other translations (excerpts etc.):

  • 2018 Testek a sötétben excerpt of the novel Telesa v temi, Mennyek a Szederbokorban (anthology)
  • 2017 Těla ve tmě, excerpt of the novel Telesa v temi, Plav, št. 3/2017
  • 2015 Bodies in the Dark, excerpt of the novel Telesa v temi, JAKRS (sample translation)
  • 2015 Testek a sötétben, excerpt of the novel Telesa v temi, JAKRS (sample translation)
  • 2015 Testek a sötétben, excerpt of the novel Telesa v temi, Magyar Lettre’, spring 2015
  • 2015 Testek a sötétben, excerpt of the novel Telesa v temi, Európai Elsőkönyvesek Fesztiválja
  • 2014 Bodies in the Dark, excerpt of the novel Telesa v temi, 10 Books from Slovenia
  • 2013 Eye, Nest, Lust, Morning prayer, Butterflies at night, poems, Društvo Idiot

Awards and nominations:

Awards:

  • 2014 Kresnik for novel Telesa v temi
  • 2014 Kritiško sito for novel Telesa v temi
  • 2014 Priznanje občine Solčava for novel Telesa v temi
  • 2014 Nagrada EMS for novel Telesa v temi
  • 2012 Koroška v besedi for short story Zver in brezno

Nominations:

  • 2019 Koroška v besedi for short story Nepremičnina
  • 2019 Pesniški turnir (semifinals) for poem 696
  • 2018 Pesniški turnir (finals) for poem In in in
  • 2017 Novo mesto short for collection of short stories Postopoma zapuščati Misantropolis
  • 2016 Revija Sodobnost for essay Zapiski o black metalu
  • 2013 Nagrada za prvenec SKS for novel Telesa v temi
  • 2012 Revija Sodobnost for short story Samoumevnosti
  • 2012 Pesniški turnir (semifinals) for poems Nekdo drug