Ars Baltica - Romani Writers Congress
Tammisaari 2-3-4 July 2004

Germany

	Rajko Djuric Rajko Djuric was born in Malo Orasje, near Belgrade, in 1947. After receiving a Diploma in Philosophy at the Philosophical Faculty in Belgrade, he went on to obtain a Doctorate of Sociology in 1986. He concentrates his writings mainly on the culture and history of the Romani. His poetry collection Without House or Grave brings together the multifaceted history, ethnography, language, culture and politics of the Roma people. His aim is to portray how, despite the absence of any statehood or territory that the Roma people can call their own, they have managed to preserve their cultural identity. His literary works have been translated into more than five languages.
	Rahim Burhan Rahim Burhan is a founder of the Roma Theatre Pralipe in Skopje, Macedonia in 1970. The first play No, in 1971, was awarded by the city of Skopje and the Republic of Macedonia awards. The Roma Theatre of Rahim Burhan received many credits and prominent awards. The awards received and his political standpoint inspired Rahim Burhan make a decision to perform his plays in Roma language with an aim to preserve the language and the culture of Roma people and help support their self-esteem and help integrate this culture in new Europe. Still, Burhan does not only address Roma, but all people who like theatre and who are open to specific Burhan Pralipe Theatre aesthetics.
	Kasmir Ribic
	Philomena Franz Born in 1922 in Biberach an der Riss, for seven years she made her living as a folklore dancer and singer in a theatre group. In 1943 she was sent to Auschwitz, and later to the concentration camps in Ravensbruck and Oranienburg. She writes mostly Romani tales and organizes literary readings at schools and universities and lives in Rosrath near Cologne. In August 1995 she was awarded the "Federal Cross for Merits" - the highest civil award which Germany confers. She was the first Sinti awarded the prize for her "activities endeavouring after understanding and conciliation."

Polen

	Roman Gerlinski
	Teresa Mirga
	Edward Debicki Roma Poet and Composer from Gorzów, artistic director of the Roma Festival / Romane Dyvesa (Gorzów)

Denmark

Selahetin Kruezi Chairman of the Roma Cultural Centre EUROMA in Copenhagen

Russia

Jefimu Drutshe Bogdanovic Jefimu Drutshe is from Moscow, his wife is Roma. Jefimu has been living himself in Romani camps and his writing focuses on Roma related subjects. He is the most famous writer from Russia writing about Romas.

Lithuania

Rada Bogdanovic Rada Bogdanovic is a young student, writing poetry and very important for Lithuanian and Roma communities integration. In 2001 she has worked on the publication "Lithuanian Roma: between past and present" and has prepared a Lithuanian-Romany dictionary included into the book.

Finland

Veijo Baltzar Veijo Baltzar (b. 1942) is Finland's only Gypsy writer. With his eight novels, he has shed light on the world of the hidden culture of his tribe. A strong Gypsy identity and roots in his own culture combined with in-depth familiarity with the culture of the majority population have provided Baltzar with critical viewpoints on both worlds. His debut novel Polttava tie (Scorching road) appeared in 1968 and has also been published in Swedish. In 2002, he published a magnificient family saga called Phuro. He has also written plays, dramatised poems and film scripts. He has won awards on two occasions (1999 and 2000) at the international Amico Rom review of Gypsy art in Lanciano, Italy.

IRWA

Mariella Mehr Mariella Mehr was born 1947 in Switzerland. She is of Roma (Gypsy) origin. Her childhood and adolescence is a typical example for members of this minority under the Swiss Gypsy oppression system. She has been honoured by literary awards and prizes. For her courageous fight against discrimination of minorities and the documentation she created in this field the University of Basel honoured her with a PH.D. honoris causa of the faculty of philosophy and history. Mentioning in Swiss and German Indexes of Authors.

Joaquín Albaicín Writer, lecturer and artistic life chronicler, his articles and tales, as well as his Flamenco art reviews -decisives for the present rebirth of the genre- have been published by many Spanish dailies. Esoterism of the great World Religions, geopolitical analysys, tauromachia, spying, Mongol Empire and the last Romanov´s world are some of the main subjects of the work of this writer born in a Kali/Romani rooted family of artists. He is currently finishing a new novel, as well as an essay dealing with the medieval legend of Prester Johns´s Realm, another one on Grand Duchess Anastasia´s mystery and a third one dealing with the polemic Baron Ungern-Sternberg. In his safe-box sleeps also an inedit collection of tales.