Grigore Vieru

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Grigore Vieru (February 14, 1935–) is a Moldovan poet and writer mostly known for his poems and books for children.

He was born in the village of Pererâta, Hotin County, then part of Romania. His parents, Pavel and Eudochia Vieru (née Didic) were engaged in farming.

In 1957 he marked his publishing debut with a poems booklet for children. The following year, Vieru graduated from the "Ion Creangă" Pedagogical Institute in Chişinău with a degree in history and philology. In 1959, he became editor at the Nistru magazine, published by the Moldavian Writers' Union. From 1960 to 1963, he served as editor in chief of the "Cartea Moldovenească" publishing house.

In 1967, Vieru's book "Poetry for readers of all ages" (published in 1965) was awarded the Moldavian Prize for Youth Literature. The following year, his book "Your name" became part of the contemporary literature curriculum in Moldavian universities, but due to the publication of the poem "Men of Moldova", an issue of Nistru magazine was banned in an act of censorship.

In 1973 Vieru visited Romania for the first time, remarking "If somebody dreamed of getting to outer space, my whole life I have dreamed of crossing the Prut River". In 1974 and 1977, invited by the president of the Romanian Writers' Union, Vieru visited Bucharest, Constanţa, Iaşi, and cities in Transylvania.

In 1978, the "Junimea" publishing house printed "The Friday Star", Vieru's first work published in Romania.

In 1989 he was elected member of Parliament and was involved in getting Romania and Moldova closer to each other. The following year he was elected Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy. In 1992, the Romanian Academy recommended Vieru for the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1995, he became a member of the Board of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company, and in 1996 he won several Romanian literary awards.

In 2000, Vieru was awarded the "Eminescu" Medal by the Romanian Government.

Vieru has been married to Raisa Vieru since 1959; they have two boys, Teodor and Călin.