Croatian Intercontinental Lyrics founded in Vienna, so that the Croatian word lives, travels, and connects

Croatian poetry has found a new, borderless home in Vienna with the establishment of Hrvatska interkontinentalna lirika (HIL). This new association, founded in the premises of FA Šokadija, aims to serve as an international platform connecting authors, nurturing new projects, and fostering literary encounters. Its core mission is to ensure Croatian poetry thrives wherever it may be found.

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The association was born out of the need for the Croatian voice to be heard more clearly, further, and warmer. HIL has already shown at the beginning that it is more than an association – it is a space for meeting, recognition, and community.

The initiative, driven by Mijo Mišo Bijuklić and the Croatian World Congress (HSK), emerged from a recognized need to amplify the Croatian voice more clearly and warmly across the globe. HIL is envisioned as more than just an organization; it's a space for meeting, recognition, and community. Poets who have collaborated for years on projects, anthologies, and poetry evenings have now formalized their partnership into a lasting, organized literary community.

The founding assembly, held in a convivial atmosphere with music and refreshments, saw the unanimous election of HIL's leadership. Mijo Mišo Bijuklić was elected president, with Josip Zahorodni as vice-president, Maja Grošinić as secretary, and Mile Pemper as treasurer. The expanded presidency includes representatives from Croatian poets across all continents: Ivana Bačić Serdarević (Australia), Gabrijela Brajević (North America), Anica Markov (South America), Jasna Šego (Europe), and Dominik Trefil (Asia).

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We were never officially registered, although recognized. Now, during the Week of Croats Abroad, we have matured to have our name and surname. We want to leave something humanly sincere and nourished by kindness for generations. This is a historic moment in which we founded Hrvatska interkontinentalna lirika, so that the Croatian word lives, travels, and connects.

Igor Lacković, president of the HSK, expressed pride in co-initiating a project that bridges the Croatian word across oceans, calling HIL a link between the homeland and the diaspora, tradition and modernity. He emphasized that culture is the foundation of identity, with poetry being its purest expression. The HSK pledges full trust and ongoing support to this initiative connecting Croats through creativity, language, and emotion. President Bijuklić highlighted the long-standing, informal "wandering" of Croatian verse across continents and described the founding as a historical moment to leave a legacy of human sincerity and kindness.

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HSK is a proud co-initiator of a project that connects the Croatian word across the oceans. HIL is a bridge between the homeland and the diaspora, tradition and modernity, and culture is the foundation of identity, and poetry is its purest expression.