On the occasion, Pahor was sent congratulations from Minister for Education, Science, Culture and Sport Žiga Turk, who wished him the best of health and creativity as a writer.

In his congratulatory note, the minister underscored the moral authority of a man who stood up to three dictatorships that had persecuted him only because of his commitment to the Slovenian nation, freedom and democracy.

As he enters his 100th year, Pahor will launch a new book, a collection of diaries in which he pays tribute to his late wife Rada. In the book, Pahor reminisces about their falling in love, marriage, the birth of their two children, her sickness and death.

Pahor, who is often described as a moral authority of the contemporary Slovenian society, has won wide recognition for his work, including by being nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature.

His books, which have been translated into many European languages, deal mostly with the life and hardships of the Slovenian ethnic community in Italy as well as with his experience of the Fascist regime and WWII.

The many awards in recognition of his work include the Prešeren Prize, the highest Slovenian accolade for lifetime artistic achievements, the French Legion of Honour (Legion d'honneur) and Austria's Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class, the highest award that the country can bestow on a foreigner.