Mindaugas Valiukas (b. 1976) is a poet, prose writer, musician and dramatist. He studied Lithuanian language and literature at the Lithuanian Pedagogical University, and received a bachelor’s degree from Klaipeda University in philology and theater studies. He worked in Klaipėda Puppet Theater as an actor and dramatist. His first poetry collection, The Moon’s Ceramics, won the Zigmas Gaidamavičius-Gėlė Prize for best debut of the year. Two more poetry collections followed: Stolen Nail (2003) and Mouth Harp (2006), as well as a collection of theater works: Creator’s Death (2005). His new poetry collection Teacher Teaching Death was published in 2018.