Photo by Laura Vansevičienė

The poet and playwright Daiva Čepauskaitė (b. 1967) studied medicine and obtained a medical degree but didn’t become a doctor. The theatre studio which she attended when she was a student led her into acting. She also wrote plays. Her move into poetry happened by chance. “I’m not a good judge of my own work. I simply do what I’m interested in.” Her first children’s poems appeared in theatre scenes over a long period: various of her song texts or rhymed verses were used in plays. It was only twenty-five years later that Daiva published her first children’s poetry book, combining “beautiful” and “terrible” poems, trying out the “horror” genre in poetry. She half-jokingly states that she had to practise on adults for a long time and write five books for them in order to get fit for the highest-ranking children’s league. The author is convinced that writing for children is definitely less easy than writing for adults – the responsibility is even greater. “Stricter quality requirements apply to everything that children consume. It’s the same with literature.” 

Baisiai gražūs eilėraščiai (Awfully Beautiful Poems). Illustrated by Ieva Babilaitė. Kaunas: Žalias kalnas, 2017, 44 pp.  

This is an innovative, unexpected and intriguing collection of poetry for children written by a renowned poet. In Lithuanian vernacular, the word ‘baisiai’ (awfully, terribly) is often used in place of ‘labai’ (very), so the title of this book can also be read to mean ‘very beautiful poems’. But the word ‘awful’ also creates a bit of tension, since the collection includes some awfully frightening poetry. In her book, this talented poet talks about the world that children know – full of beautiful, strange things that are sometimes difficult to explain: the feelings poetry evokes, what a mother smells like, or what we feel when we see a spider lurking in the corner… Illustrator Ieva Babilaitė speaks to readers in a non-traditional language of scraps, inked lines and golden ants, sparking the imagination and kindling all sorts of tingly sensations. Always seeking new and powerful visual tools and the therapeutic effect of illustrations, Babilaitė is unique among Lithuanian children’s book artists for her superior artistic talent, surprising artistic expression and constantly changing artistic potential. 

IEVA BABILAITĖ (b. 1973) is a graduate of the Graphic Art Department of Vilnius Academy of Art and a member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Union and the Lithuanian section of IBBY. She has held over 10 solo exhibitions and has been part of many group shows, both in Lithuania and abroad. She is a versatile artist and has illustrated over 10 children’s books, including several she wrote herself. The artistic merit and originality of her work have been recognised by many awards and prizes.