How many journeys? 10 years of language diversity in Transpoesie

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22 September 2020

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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.

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🎉 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐄! 👇 Presenting the poets of 2020: 🇹🇩 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐦ă𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮, 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚 A poet, editor and translator, Denisa Comănescu graduated in Romanian and English from the Faculty of Philology of the University of Bucharest. She worked as editor, chief editor and editorial director, coordinating between 1980 and 2006 several successful foreign fiction series in two main publishing houses. Since 2007 she has been the general manager of Humanitas Fiction Publishing House belonging to Humanitas Group in Bucharest and she has launched the first personalised series of world literature in Romania, “Denisa’s Bookshelf”, including more than 600 new published titles up late. Comănescu authored five volumes of poetry: "Banishment from Paradise" ("Izgonirea din Paradis"), 1979; "The Silver Knife" ("Cuțitul de argint"), 1983; "The Boat on the Waves" ("Barca pe valuri"), 1987; "The Trace of Fire" ("Urma de foc"), 1999; "Now My Old Time Biography" ("Acum biografia de-atunci"), 2000 – an audiobook of the volume, read by the author, being released in 2008 by Humanitas Multimedia. Her poetry has been included in anthologies in more than fifteen countries. A member of the Writers’ Union of Romania since 1986. 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. ❗️ Read her poem with translations on our Facebook page @Transpoesie! ❗️ See her read her work at our opening event – Transpoesie #1 Hear the Women Call – Virtual opening night on September 23rd The TRANSPOESIE poetry festival is organised for the TENTH consecutive year by @eunic.brussels, the European Union National Institutes for Culture based in the Belgian capital. This year’s edition of TRANSPOESIE will feature poets from 26 different countries – and will be celebrated in on-line events – for you to join in wherever you are! 🏠 #transpoesie #transpoesie2020 #poesie #poezie #poetesdinstagram #poetsofinstagram #dichtersvaninstagram #poetscommunity #translation #languages #eunic #eunicbrussels

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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.

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🎉 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟏𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐄! 👇 Presenting the poets of 2020: 🇮🇸 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐣ö𝐫𝐠 Þ𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝ó𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐫, 𝐈𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 Sigurbjörg Þrastardóttir (Iceland, 1973) is the author of eight poetry collections, two novels and a few staged plays. Her poetry cycle "Blysfarir" ("Torch Marches") was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2009 and was subsequently released in German and Swedish. Her poetry is widely translated for readings and anthologies in European circles and beyond. Her mini-play "Decent People", on Nobel Prize author Halldór Laxness, was staged at King’s Place in London in 2016. Þrastardóttir is the translator of Simon Armitage’s poetry selection "Þaðan sem við horfum" ("From Where We Stand"), published by Icelandic editor Dimma in 2019, and currently works on further translations of poetry. She also collaborates with musicians and visual artists, most recently with composer Ingibjörg Ýr Skarphéðinsdóttir on Klakabrennur II, a piece for mezzosoprano and string quartet, on climate angst. Þrastardóttir’s latest book is the poetry collection "Hryggdýr" ("Triste Beasts"). ❗️ Read her poem with translations on our Facebook page @Transpoesie! The TRANSPOESIE poetry festival is organised for the TENTH consecutive year by EUNIC Brussels, the European Union National Institutes for Culture based in the Belgian capital. This year’s edition of TRANSPOESIE will feature poets from 26 different countries – and will be celebrated in on-line events – for you to join in wherever you are! 🏠 📸: Ásta Gísladóttir #transpoesie #transpoesie2020 #poesie #poezie #poetesdinstagram #poetsofinstagram #dichtersvaninstagram #poetscommunity #translation #languages #eunic #eunicbrussels #brussels

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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.