Uladzimir Niakliaeu is one of the most prominent contemporary Belarusian writers, as well as a social and political activist. Although he wrote his first poetry in Russian, he later chose to write his native Belarusian. The former president of Belarusian PEN, he was also an opposition candidate for president in 2010, when he was jailed for his political activity.  He was released the following year and remains under house arrest.