| | Poetry International Archives News
- April 2020 | |
| | | | | | | | | | With a heavy heart Poetry International has decided to postpone the 2020 Poetry International Festival Rotterdam which was to take place June 25-28. We were looking forward to it very much. Under the theme What You Will Hear Is True, we were well underway to creating a truly unforgettable 51st festival, much as we did during our successful anniversary edition in 2019, together with poets, translators, musicians, volunteers, partners, and of course the audience. Because of the current COVID-19 crisis, and the necessary measures limiting movement that have been taken in the Netherlands and abroad, it has proven impossible to prepare a festival worthy of its participants by the end of June.
We are primarily concerned with the health of the poets, translators, partners, visitors and co-workers of the festival, and the uncertain circumstances in which they now find themselves. We will try to support them to the best of our ability.
With the decision to postpone made, we are currently exploring the possibility of presenting poets, poetry, and events online or on stage at a later point in time. In the meantime we reach out to loyal and new audiences via our websites and social media, aiming to inspire and offer some comfort and consolation in these times, for example through our Archive Tours. Soon we will also be presenting our short term plans for various Book Clubs.
We will keep sharing new information on our websites and social media. We feel encouraged by the solidarity and creativity that we have seen blossoming all around us. And we wholeheartedly thank our sponsors for their support as we take the difficult decision of postponing our festival. We wish everyone much strength and resourcefulness in these surreal times. Keep your distance, stay healthy, and support one another.
On behalf of the board and staff of Poetry International,
Inez Boogaarts, director | |
| | | | | | | New profiles, poems and translations on our website:
Samira Negrouche (Algeria)
‘narrative and painterly too’
Magda Carneci (Romania)
‘I have loved myself and hated myself’
Camillo Pessanha (Portugal)
‘deep respect for the Chinese language’ | |  | |
| | | | | | | Comfort often comes in simple moments, things and words. Poetry International Archives has made a selection of comforting poems for every moment of these otherworldly days.
ARCHIVE TOUR: Comfort & Consolation
from early in the morning until midnight. | |  | |
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