The Writers' Union of Romania (), founded in March 1949, is a professional association of writers in

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

. It also has a subsidiary in

Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ), also known as Kishinev (russian: Кишинёв, r=Kishinjóv ), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial center, and is located in the ...

Republic of Moldova A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

. The Writers' Union of Romania was created by the

communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...

by taking over the former

Romanian Writers' Society The Romanian Writers' Society ( ro, Societatea Scriitorilor Români) was a professional association based in Bucharest, Romania, that aided the country's writers and promoted their interests. Founded in 1909, it operated for forty years before the e ...

(''Societatea Scriitorilor Români''), which had been established in 1908. The Union organizes the annual Days and Nights of Literature Festival, and the awarding of the prestigious

Ovid Prize The Ovid Prize, established in 2002, is a literary prize awarded annually to an author from any country, in recognition of a body of work. It is named in honour of the Roman poet Ovid, who died in exile in Tomis (contemporary Constanța), on the ...

for Literature.

Presidents

Zaharia Stancu Zaharia Stancu (; October 7, 1902 – December 5, 1974) was a Romanian prose writer, novelist, poet, and philosopher. He was also the director of the National Theatre Bucharest, the President of the Writers' Union of Romania, and a titular memb ...

(active, 1949–1956) *

Mihail Sadoveanu Mihail Sadoveanu (; occasionally referred to as Mihai Sadoveanu; November 5, 1880 – October 19, 1961) was a Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and political figure, who twice served as acting head of state for the communis ...

(honorary, 1949–1956; active, 1956–1961) *

Mihai Beniuc Mihai Beniuc (; 20 November 1907 – 24 June 1988) was a Romanian socialist realist poet, dramatist, and novelist. He was born in 1907 in Sebiș, Arad County (at the time in Austria-Hungary), and attended the Moise Nicoară High School in Arad ...

(1962–1964) *

Demostene Botez Demostene Botez (July 2, 1893 – March 18, 1973) was a Romanian poet and prose writer. Born in Trușești (then called ''Hulub''), Botoșani County, his parents were Anghel Botez, a Romanian Orthodox priest, and his wife Ecaterina (''née'' Chi ...

(1964–1966) *

(1966–1974) * (1974–1978) *

George Macovescu George Macovescu (; 28 May 1913 – 20 March 2002) was a Romanian writer and communist politician who served as the General Secretary of Ministry of Information of Romania and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania. Life and political career H ...

(1978–1982) *

Dumitru Radu Popescu Dumitru Radu Popescu (; 19 August 1935 – 2 January 2023) was a Romanian novelist, poet, dramatist, essayist and short story writer. He was a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy and was, between 1980 and 1990, Chairman of the Romanian Wr ...

(1982–1990) *

Mircea Dinescu Mircea Dinescu (; born November 11, 1950) is a Romanian poet, journalist, and editor. Biography Early life and poetry He was born in Slobozia, the son of Ştefan Dinescu, a metalworker, and Aurelia (born Badea). Dinescu studied at the Faculty ...

(1990–1996) * (1996–2000) * (2000–2005) *

Nicolae Manolescu Nicolae Manolescu (; b. 27 November 1939, Râmnicu Vâlcea) is a Romanian literary critic. As an editor of '' România Literară'' literary magazine, he has reached a record in reviewing books for almost 30 years. Elected a corresponding member ...

(2005–)

Tudor Arghezi Tudor Arghezi (; 21 May 1880 – 14 July 1967) was a Romanian writer, best known for his unique contribution to poetry and children's literature. Born Ion N. Theodorescu in Bucharest, he explained that his pen name was related to ''Argesis'', th ...

was honorary president from 1962 to 1967, as was

Victor Eftimiu Victor Eftimiu (; 24 January 1889 – 27 November 1972) was a Romanian poet and playwright. He was a contributor to ''Sburătorul'', a Romanian literary magazine. His works have been performed in the State Jewish Theater of Romania. Eftim ...

in 1972;

Ștefan Augustin Doinaș Ștefan Augustin Doinaș (; pen name of Ștefan Popa) (April 26, 1922 – May 25, 2002) was a Romanian Neoclassical poet of the Communist era. Doinaș was born in Cherechiu, Bihor County. After completing high school in Arad, he studied philol ...

was chosen for this function in 1990 as well.

Notable members

Paul Cernat Paul Cernat (born August 5, 1972 in Bucharest) is a Romanian essayist and literary critic. He has a Ph.D. summa cum laude in philology. Cernat has been a member of the Writers' Union of Romania since 2009. As of 2013, he is lecturer of Romanian li ...

, essayist *

Ioana Crăciunescu Ioana Crăciunescu (born 1950) is a Romanian actress and poet. Biography Ioana, also named Luminita, Crăciunescu, was born in Bucharest, the daughter of a civil engineer. She studied at the Caragiale Academy of Theatrical Arts and Cinematogra ...

, poet and actress *

Vasile Dîncu Vasile Sebastian Dîncu (; born 25 November 1961) is a Romanian politician, sociologist, professor and writer who served as Deputy Prime Minister in the Cioloș Cabinet and was Minister of National Defence in the Ciucă Cabinet. Biography Vasi ...

, Minister of National Defence *

Eugenia Mihalea ''Eugenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It has a worldwide, although highly uneven, distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. The bulk of the approximately 1,100 species occur in the New World tropics, ...

, poet *

Aurel Pantea Aurel Pantea (; born 10 March 1952) is a Romanian poet and literary critic. Born in Chețani, Mureș County into a family of peasants, Pantea attended the Faculty of Letters of the Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj, graduating in 1976. During th ...

, poet *

Nicolae Pogonaru Nicolae may refer to: * Nicolae (name), a Romanian name * ''Nicolae'' (novel), a 1997 novel See also *Nicolai (disambiguation) *Nicolao Nicolao is an Italian given name and a surname. It may refer to the following: Given name *Nicolao Civitali ...

, novelist *

Sorin Lavric Sorin Lavric (born 27 November 1967 in Turnu Severin, Socialist Republic of Romania) is a Romanian writer, philosopher and politician. Having started studying medicine in 1987, Lavric later began studying philosophy as well. Posteriorly, as he d ...

, writer (until 2020)

References

1949 establishments in Romania

Organizations established in 1949 {{Romania-stub