The 37th Poetry Encounters were held at the Drenovci Municipal Public Library, an event that has been established as a recognisable Croatian poetry showcase since 1986. The organiser of the encounters is the Vinkovci branch of the Croatian Writers' Association (Društvo hrvatskih književnika), and it features renowned poets who are members of the Croatian Writers' Association from Croatia and neighbouring countries, alongside young, unaffiliated authors from Slavonia.
The programme began with an author's evening by Elke Nyagolova, during which an anthology of contemporary poetry by Slavic poets was presented. On Saturday, a visit to the Marian shrine of Šumanovci followed, after which an exhibition by Franjo Golić titled "Ispričane priče" (Told Stories) was held.
The central part of the event was the Main Literary Sitting, where the laureates of the Encounters receive their awards. The Visoka žuta žita Charter, named after a poem of the same name by Dragutin Tadijanović, is awarded for a total literary opus and lasting contribution to Croatian literature, and is presented by the Croatian Writers' Association. This year's recipient of the Charter is Croatian writer Krešimir Bagić.
The Duhovno hrašće statue has been awarded since 1995 for the best poetry collection by an author from Slavonia in the period between two Encounters. This year, the statue was awarded to Croatian writer Đurđica Stuhlreiter.
Tamara Kalistović, head of the Administrative Department for Tourism, Culture and Sport, attended the event on behalf of Vukovar-Srijem County.
