Varaždin literary circle

The Varaždin literary circle or Croatian-Kajkavian literary circle (Serbo-Croatian: Varaždinski litararni krug; Hrvatskokajkavski književni krug) was a literary group which emerged at the end of the 16th century in Varaždin. The framework of the Varaždin literary circle had four members.[1][2] One of them was Roman Catholic vicar Antun Vramec, while the other members were writers Ivanuš Pergošić, Blaž Škrinjarić and Blaž Antilović.[1] The arrival of Antun Vramec to Varaždin marked the emergence of the Varaždin literary circle.[3] Some members of this literary circle were the first authors to write or publish texts in the Kajkavian dialect of Croatian.[4]

The forerunner of this literary circle was Protestant preacher Mihajlo Bučić.[1] Some sources include Bučić as a member of this literary circle.[5] The Varaždin literary circle followed the line of contemporary European literary and theological societies.[6] The Varaždin literary circle was careful not to show any sympathies toward Protestant Reformation.[7] In his works, Vramec deliberately used simple language spoken by the population of Slavonia to suppress the books published by Protestants.[8]