The flat in the Prule borough was given to the poet by the Slovenian Writers' Association. He lived there for seven years with his wife before his death. Years later, the association decided to convert it into a writers' studio, where foreign writers and translators could come to write as well as network with other writers.

The studio can accommodate two residents at a time, each living there between one and four weeks. Klavdija Zupan decorated it in such a way to preserve the poet's memory. His verses adorn the studio's walls and the bookshelves are filled with works by Slovenian authors translated into foreign languages.

Agata Šimenc from the Slovenian Writers' Association told the STA that the writers staying in the studio would have all living expenses paid. The association would also like to give scholarships to three or five authors in the future, drawing funds from the European Literature Network.

The call for residence was issued August last year. Almost 40 authors applied to it, most of them from ex-Yugoslav countries, but also from Greece, Malta, Romania, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Scandinavian countries, Iceland, Canada, and the US.

The selection was made by the association's International Collaboration Committee. Most of this year's selected applicants come from European countries. The first resident to arrive was Croatian author Dražen Katunarić, with British writer and lecturer Patrick McGuinness to arrive today.

The poet and playwright Dane Zajc was one of the defining figures in Slovenian literature of the 20th century. Making his name with the poetry collection Požgana trava (1958), his post-modernist works depict the uncertainty of the contemporary man. He was known for his verse dramas based on Slovenian folklore and his poems for children.