UNESCO World Poetry Day

21.03.2021 / 19:00
With Affonso Uchoa, Angélica Freitas

Celebrating poetry: UNESCO established a special world day for this very purpose in 2000. Honored is the relevance of poetry, the diversity of language and the importance of oral traditions. From the beginning, the Haus für Poesie has organized this headline event in Germany along with its partners.

Joining together online for this year’s edition of the poetry festival are the following participants: Iraqi poet Omar al-Jaffal (b. 1988), whose texts evince the pain and anger affiliated with the crises of our time; Volker Braun (b. 1939), who reads from his new long-form poem “Große Fuge”; Nancy Campbell (b. 1978), who explores glaciers, arctic floes, frost and snow in her poetry; Angélica Freitas (b. 1973), who addresses the female body in a powerful manner and with a critical eye; and Suvi Valli (b. 1977), who has deep ties to German literature, especially the Romantic era. radioeins journalist Knut Elstermann will introduce the poets. German translations of the works will be available.

Online on YouTube, Facebook & #kanalfuerpoesie.

Angélica Freitas is a DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program fellow. Her video contribution was produced by film director and current Berlin fellow Affonso Uchoa.

Made possible through the support of the German Commission for UNESCO.

The event is co-organized by the Haus für Poesie and the Stiftung Brandenburger Tor in conjunction with the German Commission for UNESCO, Akademie Schloss Solitude, the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program, the Internationales Künstlerhaus Villa Concordia BambergInternational House of Artists Villa Concordia Bamberg and Kulturstiftung Schloss Wiepersdorf.

Photo credits (from left to right):
Angélica Freitas, Photo: Jasper Kettner; Nancy Campbel, Photo: Michael Aust; Omar al-Jaffal, Photo: Frank Kleinbach; Suvi Valli Photo: private, Volker Braun, Photo: gezett