ZAGREB, July 8 (Hina) - Croatian Writers' Society (DHK) president Slavko Mihalic on Monday sent a letter to the Croatian PEN Centre president, Sibila Petlevska, commenting on parts of her speech at a recent DHK electoral assembly and
her decision to leave the DHK.
ZAGREB, July 8 (Hina) - Croatian Writers' Society (DHK) president
Slavko Mihalic on Monday sent a letter to the Croatian PEN Centre
president, Sibila Petlevska, commenting on parts of her speech at a
recent DHK electoral assembly and her decision to leave the DHK.
#L#
In the letter that was forwarded to Hina, Mihalic said Petlevska had
provoked attacks on herself by speaking about Croatia as a "small,
Lilliputian country".
This description was understood by many as the Western perception
of Croatia, Mihalic said. He also commented on Petlevska's request
that the DHK apologise to PEN, saying it was PEN that excluded from
its membership "more than 20 Croatian writers, including Vjekoslav
Kaleb, Ranko Marinkovic, Petar Segedin, and others, due to verbal
offence".
Mihalic also dismissed "libels levelled recently at the DHK".
Culture Minister Antun Vujic today called on the DHK and the
Croatian PEN Centre to reconcile and show unity.
Speaking at a news conference, Vujic supported Croatian PEN Centre
president Petlevska and expressed regret at her being verbally
attacked at the DHK electoral assembly, calling the incident an
inconvenience.
(hina) rml sb