Simonas Stanevičius is a writer, a prominent cultural worker of the beginning of the 19th century, a classical author of fables.
S.Stanevičius was born in 1799 in a Kanapėnai village, Viduklė community, Raseiniai district, to the family of a petty Samogitian nobleman. Since 1817 he studied at the high school in Kražiai. After graduating from the high school in 1821 he stayed for one more year in Kražiai, where he was giving private lessons. In 1822 he entered Vilnius University where studied at the Department of Literature and Free Arts. The democratic sentiments that prevailed at the University had shaped the attitudes of S.Stanevičius and induced him to join in the activities of publishing Lithuanian books and enlivening Lithuanian national feelings. In 1853 S.Stanevičius had published four publications and created an ode "The Glory of Samogitians", had written fables. After graduating from the University with philosophy candidate's degree in 1826 S.Stanevičius remained in Vilnius. Here he gave private lessons, continued the studies of Lituanistics, and prepared for publication Lithuanian books. The year 1829 was the most fruitful in the life of S.Stanevičius: he had published a grammar, a collection of songs, his ode and fables.
The further life of S.Stanevičius was associated with count J Platter who was interested in Lituanistics. In Raseiniai S.Stanevičius maintained and supervised his library with publications and manuscripts on Lithuanian history and language. After the death of J. Platter in 1836 S.Stanevičius stayed in Raseiniai for some time. Later he moved to Stemplės near Švėkšna where the brother of J. Plioteris Kazimieras lived. He died of tuberculosis in 1848 in Švėkšna, where he was buried.
The literary legacy of S.Stanevičius is scanty: one ode and six fables. The fables had made him eminent. He prepared and published several books; the most significant of them are collections of Lithuanian folk songs and melodies "Samogitian Songs".