He received the award for the Kako zorijo ježevci (How Porcupines Ripen) collection of "nonsensical animal stories".

Svetina depicts everyday and slightly less everyday adventures of porcupines which cross their paths with other, again more or less unusual animals. It is an excellent collection of animal stories in which humoristic lingusitic-conceptual ingenuities and playful turnovers play the main role, the judging panel said.

Head of the jury Igor Saksida said it "is unusual for this kind of poetics that laughter intertwines with accurately thought through feeling for the sound and meaning of words".

"It is like words were liberated from their everyday meaning and, like fragile beings from stories, get new, exciting and inspiring lives," he illustrated.

Svetina was shortlisted for the prize alongside Nataša Konc Lorenzutti, Vinko Möderndorfer, Andrej Rozman Roza and Aleš Šteger. The 46-year-old author of dozens of books for children and youth received his first Večernica in 2012 for Ropotarna (Lumber Room).

Last year, the prize went to Vladimir P. Štefanec for a youth problem novel Sem punk čarovnica, Debela lezbijka in ne maram vampov (I'm a Punk Witch, Fat Lesbian and Don't Like Tripe).