For 10 years, TRANSPOESIE has celebrated language diversity, inspired by the European Day of Languages marked on 26 September every year. This year’s edition will include poets from 26 countries and regions, sharing poetry in their native languages internationally, with translations in French, English, and Dutch. In Brussels, selected poems will be featured on your favorite route around town, as the poster campaign in public transport kicks off on September 15.
For its 10th birthday, TRANSPOESIE will partner up with the European Poetry Platform VERSOPOLIS. The events will be virtual – the celebration undeniable!
The TRANSPOESIE hybrid poetry readings will take part in Zoom webinars, and will be screened live on social media. The events will be moderated live, with public access, from the Hungarian Cultural Institute (Treurenberg 10, 1000 Brussels), awaiting poetry enthusiasts to join this hybrid poetic experience. Please note that there is limited seating to the live events in the Hungarian Institute, hygiene measurements are in place for public safety and pre-registration is required.
All events are filmed and shared live on social media via Facebook and Instagram. TRANSPOESIE poetry festival is organized for the tenth consecutive year by EUNIC Brussels, the network of European Union National Institutes for Culture.
1. Tune in for these events:
- Wednesday 23 September 2020 at 8 pm (CEST), in partnership with VERSOPOLIS
- Wednesday 30 September 2020 at 8 pm (CEST), in partnership with LA MAISON DU LIVRE
- Wednesday 7 October 2020 at 8 pm (CEST)
- Wednesday 14 October 2020 at 8 pm (CEST), in partnership with MUNTPUNT
- Friday 16 October at 8 pm (CEST), discussion to close the tenth edition of the festival, exploring creative poetry forms and celebrating young poets of the future.
2. Opening night: Hear The Women Call
Wednesday September 23 at 8 pm CEST
Live/Zoom/Social Media. In partnership with the poetic platform VERSOPOLIS
The tenth year of TRANSPOESIE opens with six poets – six female voices, which share their poetic journey in their consecutive native languages, with translations available. The six poets are accompanied with the melodic piano tunes of Casimir Liberski.
Denisa COMĂNESCU (Romania). A prominent poet, editor and translator, Denisa Comănescu’s has authored five books of poetry and her work has been included in anthologies in more than fifteen countries, with an impressive editorial roster to date. In addition to her creative work, Comănescu’ is the former general secretary of the Romanian PEN Centre (1990–2004), a board member of Ireland-Romania Cultural Foundation since 2002, and a member of the European Cultural Parliament (ECP) since 2006.
Katja GOREČAN (Slovenia). Poet with a flair for dramaturgy, Gorečan is a young award-winning poet, recognized for her efforts in the biennale of Young Artists from Mediterranean Europe. Asides from her artistic work, Gorečan is socially active, working with the elderly people other marginalized groups, through different creative workshops.
Giedrė KAZLAUSKAITĖ (Lithuania). Lithuanian poet and language enthusiast, Kazlauskaitė has been working as an editor since 2010. She has authored multiple anthologies to date, as well as commentary and fiction. Kazlauskaitė has also been previously featured on Versopolis’ poetry platform.
Sigurbjörg ÞRASTARDÓTTIR (Iceland). A prominent translator and poet, Þrastardóttir is the author of 8 poetry collections, two novel, as well as a few staged plays. Recognised internationally, Þrastardóttir has seen her work staged at King’s Place in London, and translates various poets into Icelandic. Additionally, she collaborates frequently with musicians and visual artists and is currently working on a music collaboration centred in the theme of climate angst.
Caroline SIMON (Luxembourg). An arts student and poet with a free, engaged, and spiky tone, Simon is regularly featured in a Belgian poetry reviews, and a part of the Anthology of Young Luxemburgish Poets. She has toured the Grande Region as part of a reading tour and function as Luxemburgish poet in residence at the Printemps poétique transfrontalier in 2019.
Marlèna BRAESTER (Israel). A Romanian-born, French-speaking poet, linguist, translator, and teacher, Braester has been living in Israel since 1980. She is the President of the Association of Francophone Israeli Writers and Editor-in-chief of Continuum – Magazine for Francophone Israeli Writers, and has been distinguished Knight of the Order of Academic Palms in 2003, for her services rendered to the French culture.
Moderator: Sigrid BOUSSET, independent curator, agent, consultant in literature.
3. Good to know
The opening event will be transmitted via Facebook live, as well as via a live screening on-site at the Hungarian Cultural Institute, Treurenberg 10, 1000 Brussels. Limited seating and hygienic measurements for public safety will be in place.
