22 foreign guests are expected to attend the largest poetry festival in Romania in less than a month. Poets from abroad nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature, among whom Ko Un from Korea, Yang Lian, China and Mircea Cărtărescu will come to the 7th edition of the Bucharest International Poetry Festival due May 18-22 which comprises over 20 events in various locations in Bucharest, including a special event dedicated to Dada movement anniversary, jazz recitals and the Poetry and Jazz Marathon celebrating the European Night of Museum on May 21st through poetry, blues and jazz.
Among the foreign guests, there are internationally renowned names: Ko Un (Korea), Marilar Aleixandre (Spain), Vladimir Djurisic (Montenegro), Menna Elfyn (UK), Catharina Gripenberg (Finland), Enes Halilovic (Serbia), Nikola Madzirov (Republic of Macedonia), Tomasz Mielcarek (Poland), Amir Or (Israel), Alvin Pang (Singapore), Kateřina Rudčenková (the Czech Republic), Karlis Verdins (Latvia), Anastassis Vistonitis (Greece), Yang Lian (China).
Other experimental and avant-garde poets famous around the world are joining the big event: Tomomi Adachi (Japan), Jaap Blonk (the Netherlands), Joël Hubaut (France), Angelika Meyer (Germany), Enzo Minarelli (Italy), Hannah Silva (UK), who will meet their Romanian colleagues Claudiu Komartin and Mugur Grosu withing the “DADA 100” performance.
The Romanian poetry is well represented by an impressive number of authors, coming from all generations: Matei Vișniec, Mircea Cărtărescu, Ion Mureșan, Ioana Crăciunescu, Magda Cârneci, Eugen Suciu, Gabriel Chifu, Ioan Es. Pop, Simona Popescu, Florin Iaru, Ioana Nicolaie, Marius Oprea, Robert Șerban, Pavel Șușară, Dan Mircea Cipariu, Adrian Alui Gheorghe, Svetlana Cârstean, Caius Dobrescu, Gellu Dorian, Bogdan O. Popescu, Romulus Bucur, Ioan Matiuţ, Cosmin Perţa, Teodor Dună, Mugur Grosu, Răzvan Ţupa, Ştefan Baghiu, Andrei Doboş, Ştefan Manasia, Nicoleta Popa, Nicolae Coande, Ionel Ciupureanu, Robert G. Elekes, Iulia Pană, Amelia Stănescu, Dan Coman, Ana Donţu, Sorin Gherguţ, Sorin Despot, Grigore Șoitu, Tiberiu Neacşu, Florin Dan Prodan and others.
Public reading sessions, round tables and meetings with Romanian and foreign authors will alternate with performances of sound, experimental and avant-garde poetry.
Famous artists such as Mircea Tiberian (piano), Nadia Trohin (voice), Anita Petruescu (voice), Ana-Cristina Leonte (voice), Tavi Scurtu (electronics and percussion), Iordache (saxophone), Dan Mitrofan (guitar) will perform the music recitals.
The Bucharest International Poetry Festival is a cultural initiative aiming at re-introducing the concept of interactive poetry in the contemporary public space.
Launched in 2010, under the umbrella of the National Museum of Romanian Literature, the festival has constantly increased, reaching to over 100 poets from 23 countries at the 2016 edition.
The event is endorsed by the British Council, the Italian Culture Institute, Goethe Institute, Korea’s embassy, Literature Translation Institute of Korea, French embassy and the French Institute.