The author's eleventh novel, published by Beletrina, tells the stories of three people that have been marked and broken by the Second World War. The jury said the author "wrote a convincing war-time love vortex".

Jančar lit the traditional Midsummer bonfire in a culmination of the ceremony. The novel is already being translated into several languages, the German and English editions are planned to be published in 2019.

In addition to the winner, four novels were shortlisted for the prize: Vlado Žabot's Sveti Boj (Holy Fight), Vse Moje Amerike (All My Americas) by Štefan Kardoš, Gramoz (Gravel) by Florjan Lipuš and Starec in Jaz (The Old Man and I) by Sarival Sosič.

The prize was introduced in 1991. Its name comes from a Slavic god associated with the summer solstice.

Read and interview with Drago Jančar about the winning novel