On the cultural holiday, we announced the winners of the Literary Competition 2026

At Terme Snovik, we announced the winners of the 18th literary competition on the theme of SUN on the Slovenian cultural holiday. In the children's category, the first place was awarded to the poem The Sun is Like a Boy, created by students Larisa Antonič, Manja Širec, and Ema Dajnko from the 5th grade of the Primary School Sv. Jurij ob Ščavnici. In the adult category, the winner was author Jana Zupanc with her refined, minimalist poem in the form of a haiku, which created a strong and symbolic image of light with three verses. The literary evening brought together creators, lovers of the written word, and guests who together celebrated the cultural holiday and honored the power of words, imagination, and the inspiration of nature.

 

At Terme Snovik, we traditionally encourage creativity, reading, writing, and connecting among people. This year's literary competition was the 18th in a row, symbolically marking its 'coming of age' and making it particularly significant. The theme of the competition, SUN, inspired authors as a symbol of warmth, life, hope, growth, and inner light.

The sun also holds a special place in the sustainable operations of Terme Snovik. Among the renewable energy sources we use, solar energy accounts for 4% of total consumption. Thus, the sun is not only a motif for literary creation but also part of our commitment to sustainable development.

The collection of works took place from November 15, 2025, to January 15, 2026. The expert committee (Breda Pobrežnik Vukmir, Kristina Jamšek, Sara Drolc) carefully read all submitted poems and selected the best ones.

Literary Evening on the Cultural Holiday

On the Slovenian cultural holiday, Sunday, February 8, we gathered at Terme Snovik with authors, mentors, parents, and lovers of the written word. During a pleasant gathering, we listened to selected poems, chatted about the inspiration from the Tuhinj Valley, and together created a warm, creative, and culturally rich evening. The program was enriched by the chamber ensemble of the Tuhinj Valley Orchestra under the direction of Eva Leskovec, which created a special atmosphere with their music.

The attendees were addressed by Katarina Adam, director of Terme Snovik – Kamnik, who, along with the Terme Snovik team, made the competition possible and encouraged such a beautiful response from creators. In her speech, she emphasized that writing is a recreation of the body and spirit, which aligns with the Kneipp philosophy that we live and develop at Terme Snovik. She thanked everyone who created on the theme of SUN, highlighting that their energy is precious at a time when society is at an exceptional developmental crossroads just before the opening of the new NaturHotel Snovik with a congress center and an expansion of wellness offerings. She gave special thanks to mentors, teachers, and parents who encourage young people to create. She pointed out that culture is not self-evident: it is a living practice that enriches, delights, and inspires us.

 

Winners of the Literary Competition 2026

Children's Category

1st place: The Sun is Like a Boy – Larisa Antonič, Manja Širec, and Ema Dajnko, Primary School Sv. Jurij ob Ščavnici

2nd place: Little Sun – Ana Lipar and Lina Oplotnik, Primary School Komenda - Moste 

3rd place: Sun – Janez Rudolf Štupar, Primary School Šmartno v Tuhinju – branch school Zgornji Tuhinj

 

Adult Category

1st place: Sun on the Water – Jana Zupanc

2nd place: Sunflower and Sun – Alenka Mihorič

3rd place: Nesting – Nada Pečavar

Sincere congratulations to all the winners and all the creators who participated in this year's competition. The winners of both categories received prizes from Terme Snovik – selected thermal experiences and services, including programs at the ice rink near the thermal spa, which Terme Snovik co-creates with the Tuhinj Valley Tourist Association as a space for socializing, movement, and winter joys.

 

 

WINNING POEMS – CHILDREN'S CATEGORY

 

3rd place:SUN        

The sun shines every day, 

so no one is sleepy, 

let us all be smiling, 

always playful.

  

Everyone is happy to see it, 

every day greets all people, 

it warms us and hugs us, 

wishing us happy dreams.

  

Then the sky darkens, 

outside it gets evening, 

the sun hides behind the horizon, 

to shine on us again in the morning.

 

Author:Janez Rudolf Štupar, 4th grade, Primary School Šmartno v Tuhinju – branch school Zgornji Tuhinj, mentor Ms. Marija Pirc

 

2nd place: LITTLE SUN

 

Sunshine yellow shines every day, 
Ooh, where are you at night, show yourself now. 
No one is here who would hate you, 
Chance the moon doesn’t come, it doesn’t run away anywhere. 
Everyone is in the world, so be what you are, 
Checks shine, but not like you do. 
En, two, three, let’s shine now all.

 

Authors:Ana Lipar and Lina Oplotnik, 6th C, Primary School Komenda - Moste, mentor Ms. Lara Kolenc

 

1st place: THE SUN IS LIKE A BOY

 

The sun is like a boy, 

who with gentle steps 

wanders among the clouds. 

  

The sun is like a boy, 

who reads a book 

and shares candies, 

that melt in our mouths. 

  

The sun is not like a rich man, 

for it shares its gold with us 

and always gives us all its warmth.

  

Authors: Larisa Antonič, Manja Širec, and Ema Dajnko, 5th A, Primary School Sv. Jurij ob Ščavnici, mentor Ms. Darja Zmazek

 

Adult Category:

 

3rd place: NESTING     

  

I catch you in a glass of water. 

One hundred seventy thousand years 

the light has swirled in you, 

that in a few minutes came to me; 

with spots, with gloom, with turns, 

with explosions and implosions. 

    

I drink slowly, 

swirling sips on my taste buds 

and letting them down my throat. 

  

In the womb 

poppies bloom.

 

Author: Nada Pečavar

 

Justification of the expert committee: The poem stands out due to the gentle connection between the universe and intimate human experience. Light, which travels for millennia, becomes a symbol of memory, time, and quiet closeness that “nests” in the body. In this way, the sun transcends merely earthly dimensions, as light has a symbolic meaning, giving the poem depth and originality. The concluding image with poppies is like a promise of a new beginning, which subtly addresses the reader and leaves a warm echo within them. The sun is eternal and is a source of life.

 

2nd place: Sunflower and Sun 

  

You are the spilled core of the day, sun, 

your light travels, 

even before I know that I wait for it. 

 

I am a plant of longing. 

My name is not flower, 

but movement. 

I stand in the field of thought 

with an open yellow eye, 

full of the quiet mathematics of seeds. 

I am always turned to you, 

even when you move 

faster than promises. 

  

Your rays are 

an exercise in trust. 

You change me into 

a golden hour without hands. 

Sun, how can you shine, 

without knowing whom you warm? 

  

Every morning, without questions 

you spill over my leaves, 

full of unfinished thoughts 

on seeds, 

that do not yet know, 

whether they will ever fall in the right place. 

  

I stand on the ground, 

damp from tears and doubts. 

My roots know the darkness 

better than the sky. 

Below it is cold, 

there I learn patience 

with my head bowed. 

  

At the top, I carry a golden rebellion, 

that believes in morning 

and gives itself away. 

Wealth only hurts 

if you carry it alone. 

 

Author: Alenka Mihorič 

 

Justification of the expert committee: The sunflower as a speaking subject is a convincing allegory of a person who, despite doubts and vulnerability, continually turns to the light.
The poem is stylistically contemporary, with strong images (“golden hour without hands”, “quiet mathematics of seeds”), placing it among the most literarily refined texts of the competition.

 

1st place:

 

Sun on the Water 

whispers secrets all 

shadows flee.

 

Author: Jana Zupanc

 

Justification of the expert committee: The poem is an exceptional example of minimalist poetry, which creates a strong, holistic image with just three verses. The author uses haiku to illustrate the subtle contrast between light and shadow with a few words. In a few words, a space of silence, mystery, and inner peace opens up. The poem does not explain – it lets the feeling arise on its own, which is a sign of mature poetic expression.

It is an exceptionally metaphorical and emotionally rich poem.