Vitalija Pilipauskaitė-Butkienė – For Daddy’s Girl

Vitalija Maksvytė (Pilipauskaitė-Butkienė) (1981) is a poet, writer, mindfulness teacher, art therapy practitioner and mentor. She is the mother of four children and an NGO activist. She is the author of two poetry books and two children's books. In 2015, her debut book Kvėpuoju (I am breathing), was selected by the Lithuanian Institute for Literature and Folklore as one of the year’s 12 most creative books. In the same year, she was awarded the Z. Gėlės Prize for best poetry debut.

Her work reflects the views of an independent 21st-century woman, examining such themes as identity, social roles, and personal relationships. Vitalija’s poetry examines themes that in the past have been considered too intimate, even indelicate, for exploration. A variety of different experiences are related in expressive, contemporary form, producing an unembellished reflection of reality. And this approach or way of thinking isn’t an end in itself; the author emphasizes the important social role art plays in the world. It is important for her to meet the reader and engage them in a conversation with the text; to explore the limits of humanity and to try to change, to grow, and to share.