Prose writer Jonė Balčiūnaitė was born on August 7, 1948 in Mikalajūnai, Pakruojis district. From 1949 to 1960, she lived in exile in the Krasnojarsk region.

In 1972, she graduated from Vilnius University with a Journalism degree. As a prose writer, she debuted with a story Dinozauro laikas (The time of the dinosaur, 1989) about an artistic girl who resolved to live an uncompromising life. The novel Situacija (Situation, 1994) was one of the first serious fiction documents on the tragedy of Lithuania in the 1940s and its consequences. The novel was heartily discussed in the press as one of the best novels of the day.

The publishing house “Versus aureus” published two works of J.Balčiūnaitė. The work Išijo velnias, (Ishij devil, 2005) encompasses a whole decade that is vital for the makers of new business as well as for the idealists. The drastic relations between the idealistic and the new businessmen commence and plans beyond one’s means are created. The book is dominated by human feelings, love and passion that everyone feels.

In 2006, another novel of J. Balčiūnaitė, Viešbutis (Hotel), was published where the author talks about the demise of two young people caught up in the world of narcotics and prostitution.

Jonė Balčiūnaitė is fond of cinema, theatre, good contemporary music, (her favourite piece of music is C. Orff’s “Carmina Burana”) sea and travelling.

The photo is from the author’s personal archive.