Nil Hilevich

Nil Symonavich Hilevich (Ніл Сымонавіч Гілевіч; Нил Семёнович Гилевич; 30 September 1931 – 29 March 2016) was a Belarusian poet, a professor in the Belarusian State University, the author of more than 80 books of poetry, publications, and translations, and one of the founders of the Francišak Skaryna Belarusian Language Society.

Nil Hilevich was born in the village of Slabada (Słabada), in the Lahoisk (Łahojsk) District of Minsk Province.

Hilevich was first published in 1946.

And only after eleven years he published his verse collection, Песьня ў дарогу (literally: Song of the Road).

He studied in a college in Minsk (from which he graduated in 1951), preparing to be a teacher.

During the last year in college he worked as a teacher in one of the schools in Minsk.

He continued his education at the Belarusian State University (the Faculty of Philology), and graduated in 1956.

In 1958 he started to work for the newspaper Zvyazda (Belarusian Звязда).

The book was followed by Прадвесьне ідзе па зямлі (literally: A Feeling of Spring Passes over the Earth in 1959), Неспакой (Disquiet; 1961), Бальшак (The Highway; 1965), Перазовы (Exchanges; 1967), А дзе ж тая крынічанька? (And Where is That Little Spring?; 1972), Актавы (Octaves; 1976), У добрай згодзе (In Good Agreement; 1979), Повязь (A Tie; 1987).

Hilevich has also published a number of humorous and satirical books, such as Nil Hilevich translates Bulgarian, Slovenian, Polish, Lutuanian, Ukrainian, and Russian prose and poetry into Belarusian.

During 1960-1986 he was working at the university, and later on became a professor.

In 1978 Hilevich joined the Communist Party.

In 1980 he became the executive secretary of the Writer's Union of BSSR, and held that position for 9 years.

Hilevich wrote some plays which were published as a separate book Начлег на бусьлянцы (A Night In The Stork's Nest) in 1980.

He also has written poetic verses for children, such as In 1981 his chosen works were published in a two part book.

His novel Перажыўшы вайну (Having Survived the War) was published in 1988.

Nil Hilevich is a productive poet, also known for writing a number of books literary criticism, translations folkloric studies such as

In 1989 he became a chairperson of the Francišak Skaryna Belarusian Language Society.

He also was the chief editor of the Society's bulletin Наша слова (literally: Our Word).

In 1991 Nil Hilevich received a People's Poet of Belarus nomination.

He has also received some other awards in literature.

In 2009 his chosen works were published in a book in Minsk.

The book has 600 pages and contains the most important works of Hilevich.