Lidija Šimkutė is a bilingual poet and translator.

Lidija was born in a small village in Samogitia, Lithuania, 1942. Her parents fled from Soviet occupation during WWII so she spent her early childhood in displaced persons camps in Germany and came to Australia in 1949.

Lidija was keen to maintain and extend her Lithuanian language so furthered her studies in language, literature, folklore and history by correspondence through The Lithuanian Language Institute in Chicago, United States (1973-78) and went to Vilnius University, Lithuania (1977 and 1987).

Lidija Šimkutė has three book published in Lithuanian and five bilingual poetry books, two of which are translated into German and Polish, and a broadsheet in English. There are also three bilingual CDs: Tylos erdvės/Spaces of Silence, Vėjo žvilgesys /Wind Sheen, Balti šešėliai/White Shadows with music inserts. (See attached CV).

Lidija Šimkutė writes in Lithuanian and English. Lithuanian publications in Kultūros Barai, Literatūra ir Menas, Metai, Nemunas Šiaurės Atėnai and other literary journals. English publications in Meanjin, Southerly, Mattoid, Overland, Five Bells, Wet Ink and other journals in Australia, The Shop in Ireland as well as journals in Holland,

Romania and United States. Lidija Šimkutė’s poetry is included in various anthologies in English, Lithuanian and translations into Bulgarian, German, Italian, Spanish, Ukrainian and other languages (see attached CV). Two poems included in World Poetry Almanac 2008(Mongolia)

Lidija has given interviews and bilingual readings on radio in Australia, Lithuania and elsewhere.

L. Šimkutė’s poems have been translated into thirteen languages. Lidija has translated Australian poetry / prose (incl. David Malouf’s novel An Imaginary Life), and other works from English into Lithuanian, including poetry and prose of Samue Beckett, J.M. Coetzee’s Nobel speech, Jelalludin Rumi. Šimkutė has given poetry readings in various parts of the world, at a number of local and International Poetry Festivals. Poetry was read at a Dance Instillation project WWW for Weereewa / Lake George Festival, in Australia, and in Dreaming the Deep performed in Europe, 2002. Her poetry Spaces of Silence was used for a theatrical performance (choreographed and directed by Gediminas Sederevičius) with author’s reading, modern dance, percussion and shakuhachi - staged in Vilnius, Klaipėda and Kaunas in 2005.

Lidija Šimkutė’s poem ”My Father” was short listed for Poem of the Millenium at The Poetry Festival in Australia, 2004 and read on ABC TV Arts program.

Lidija’s Haiku ”Just One Endless Dance” came fourth in Haiku Competition (International judges) at Druskininkai Poetic Fall (Lithuania) in Oct, 2009.

Lidija has received poetry grants from Australia Council, South Australia Department for the Arts and the Lithuanian Australian Foundation.