George Batta

* Rimaszombat, 10 Jan. 1943 / poet, playwright, editor; ; Graduated from Tornalján (1959), completed a vocational qualification in mechanical engineering in Košice (1961), and obtained a Hungarian-Slovak teaching qualification in Nitra (1966). He worked as a journalist, working for the Hungarian broadcast of the Czechoslovak Radio, for Kis Építő, Nő, and Szabad Földműves. In 1966–1976 he was the editor of Új Ifjúság in Košice, in 1976–1990 he was the editor-in-chief of Kis Építő, in 1991–1993 he was the editor-in-chief of Tücsök, in 1993–1994 he was the editor of the Hajrá sports magazine, from 1995 he was a freelance journalist, public writer, occasional collaborator of the Hungarian broadcast of the Slovak Radio, Hungarian Television, Duna Television, etc. His grand plan to publish a literary and cultural magazine for the Hungarian youth of the world under the title Göncölszekér was stalled in 2001 due to lack of support after the publication of the successful first issue. ; – His poetic talent blossomed in Nitra, he edited a self-education circle magazine, and his poems were also published in national newspapers. His name became known at the same time as Sándoré Gál, Elemére Tóth and Istváné Bárczi in the framework of the poetic group called “The Four”. His first volume caused a stir. His tone, the cheerfulness and lightness emanating from it, the adolescent wonder at the things of the world, the cult of purity and beauty were unusual in the Hungarian poetry of the time in Slovakia. The tone struck at that time also characterizes his later volumes, in a more profound and somber version. From the seventies onwards, he wrote poetry less and less often, preferring to work in the genres of journalism and experimenting with playwriting. He achieved his greatest successes with his sports reports. He wrote a book about Zoltán Fábry in a warm tone, based on personal experiences. ; ; Works: The Barrel of a Gun Opens a Flower, vol. 1965, Testament, vol. 1969, Twentieth World War, vol. 1974, Fifteen Sports Reports, 1973, Cock Dance, szm., MATESZ 1978, Pumpkin Lamp, szm., MATESZ 1980, The Quail Egg, szm., MATESZ 1987, Goals and Medals, sports reports, 1989, Colors for the Portrait of Zoltán Fábry, ed., 1990, A Sentence About Love, vol. 1991, Szikora, the White Pelé, portrait, private edition 1995, Singing Animals, folio, 1993, Sausage Flute, gyv. 1997, Tobozházikó, m., 1998. ; ; Literature: Árpád Tőzsér: Young poets' lineup, ISZ 1965, László Koncsol: Flowers bloom from the barrel of a gun, ISZ 1965, András Görömbei: Hungarian literature in Czechoslovakia 1945–1980, Bp. 1982, Gyula Bodnár: Sokszemközt B. Gy.-gyel, VÚSZ 1975/25, László Cselényi: Our poetry's portrait gallery: B. Gy., Hét 1983/24, Zoltán Szeberényi: Hungarian literature in Slovakia (1945–1999) I., 2000. ;

Sz. Z.