Dear Versopolis friends,What exactly is autofiction? Why is this buzzword being used so often when talking about literature and why is it dividing literary criticism? We talked all about this in the July episode of the Versopolis podcast.
Dear Versopolis friends,What exactly is autofiction? Why is this buzzword being used so often when talking about literature and why is it dividing literary criticism? We talked all about this in the July episode of the Versopolis podcast. Going on, the Metamorphosis Festival coordinators Alen Bešić and Dejan Aleksić talked about the significance of Versopolis for smaller poetry festivals. Kraljevo's Metamorphosis Festival is also the first one taking place in August, with festivals in Ptuj, Helsinki and Malta following close behind. Leaving the future let's take a look back. Read all about this year's Hausacher LeseLenz in Jon Cho-Polizzi's reportage. Find also the short report on the Bazhan residency, where two more poets concluded their stays. And lastly, dive into Iva Damjanovski's experience at the Poetry International.
With poetic regards,
Your Versopolis teamPOETRY AND AUTOFICTIONVersopolis podcast #18What exactly is autofiction? Why is this buzzword being used so often when talking about literature and why is it dividing literary criticism?The Finnish poet Susinukke Kosola, author of four books of poetry, teacher of creative writing and founder of the Kolera Collective publishing house, thinks that sincerity is not interesting without artistic vision and that quality writing should offer more than reproducing the world. Many trendy books have little to offer, and Finnish literary critics are hungry for some real fiction. Veronika Razpotnik, a poet from Slovenia, with two published books of poetry, the first of which has been nominated for the best debut of the year 2022, says that sincerity is second to genuineness. She points out that a poet doesn’t have to leave her room to write well, and that autofiction is important in reflecting societal structures of late-stage capitalism.>> Listen here
Founded in 1991 by the National Library in Kraljevo and the Kraljevo Literary Club, the Metamorphosis Festival, one of the oldest manifestations of its kind in Serbia, was created with the aim of popularising poetry and poets in a broader cultural context. The festival has an artistic and cultural-scientific character and, in addition to poetry, features a number of both musical and visual programmes. The central part of the programme, a ceremonial act, organised in the medieval Monastery of Žiča, is the "Chrysovulus of Zica", where a particular local poet is awarded for their whole body of work.
Days of Poetry and Wine
Days of Poetry and Wine is an international festival of poetry and other artistic forms like music, theatre and fine arts, which was founded in 1996 by Beletrina Academic Press and has hosted more than 600 internationally renowned poets and young emerging authors ever since. Each year it shines a light on a specific national poetry. In focus this year is Korean poetry. A four-day translation workshop with three poets from Korea and three from Slovenia will take place. Along with a diverse selection of poets from all around the world done by this year's curator Ilya Kaminsky the festival will be enriched by the selection of the finest Slovenian wines.
Poetry Moon
Poetry Moon is an international, multiart literary festival spread throughout Helsinki. The theme of the festival varies yearly. This year’s theme is “bond”: how poetry binds us and others together, how a poem commits to other arts, to different ways of knowing, and society in general. The festival brings out new voices, new forms and experiences and encourages poets and writers to collaborate with each other and with other artists. Creating an open, accepting and interesting atmosphere for each performer and audience member to experience literature and to meet new people are of upmost importance at Poetry Moon.
Struga Poetry Evenings
Struga Poetry Evenings are the oldest international poetry festival, which have continually been held in Struga, Macedonia since 1962. This year's festival goes under the motto "Touch of beauty", emphasizing the human contact with beauty, embodied in the poetic word, but also as a tribute to the innovation of Braille, through which blind people connect with poetry. More than 25 foreign and domestic poets of the older and younger generation will be in attendance.
Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival
The XVIVth edition of the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival organised by Inizjamed will be held at the Valletta Design Cluster and the MCAST Campus in Paola. The festival will feature seven authors from five different countries: Malika Booker – a British poet of Guyanese and Grenadian parentage, Irene Chias – an Italian novelist residing in Malta, David Aloisio and Mario Cardona, from Malta, Raymond Antrobus from the the United Kingdom, Josep Pedrals from Spain, and Maja Ručević from Croatia. >> Find out more about the upcoming festivals
This year’s Versopolis guests were emblematic of the kind of profound lyrical range that has become a staple of LeseLenz: Lithuanian poet Aušra Kaziliūnaitė and Dutch-Curaçaoan poet Radna Fabias embodying Versopolis’ commitment to increasing the visibility of a many-sided European poetry. Because where else can one, in a matter of hours, witness the performative projections of a Baltic poet steeped in the interwoven traditions of philosophy, religion and folklore, and then be lulled and shaken, caressed and rudely awakened by the subtle wisdom from the Dutch-Caribbean, by a poet whose inspirations span oceans and continents? With Versopolis, in Hausach, one gets both.>> Read Jon Cho-Polizzi's reportage
For her the festival was a memorable experience with innovative poetry presentations and a strong connection with the audience. Meeting amazing poets and becoming acquainted with their work was inspiring, as seen in the many stanza sketches made in Rotterdam, a city embodying the festival's style. The poet appreciated their first Dutch translation and the trilingual chapbooks, thanking translators Roul Schuyt and Zoran Anchevski, as well as the posters created by Academy students. The festival's organizing and production team was praised for being attentive and meticulous, making it an honor to be part of the program.>> Stroll down her memory lane
VIR: Versopolis
