He believes that writers by nature must be cunning as foxes, but post-modernist writers even more so, as they turn any situation to their advantage.

He added that post-modernism, although considered today to be outlived, was a lasting condition, an indisputable characteristic of the spirit and not a fashion statement.

Albahari concluded his speech with a pledge to his readers. He promised that he will continue to believe in them as he had in the past, noting that without readers there could not have been writers.

The prize was conferred upon Albahari by the head of Slovenia's Writers' Association Veno Taufer and editor-in-chief of Primorski dnevnik Vesna Humar.

Taufer labelled Albahari as belonging to a generation of intellectuals from the former Yugoslavia who knew what they were protesting against.

Keynote at the award ceremony was delivered by President Danilo Türk, who noted that Vilenica festival remains the focal point for authors from across the central Europe.

He believes that the event gives birth to ideas based on the memory of tragedies that happened in this region, but the ideas, he said, were brimming with optimism. "Vilenica is valuable because it allows experience to crystallise."

The award ceremony was preceded by readings by Slovenian author Miljana Cunta, Israeli writer Nurit Zahri and Latvian writer Karlis Verdins.

Earlier in the day, Bulgarian author Rumen Leonidov was awarded the Vilenica Crystal, a prize that will enable him to take part in the Cuirt festival in Galway, Ireland, in April.