Dear Versopolis friends,

we wish you a Happy New Year and hope you are starting out inspired and motivated into the months ahead of us! Versopolis' annual digital festival - POETRY EXPO - which is taking place in its fourth edition (with changing titles) in 2023 is approaching quickly.
 Join us online at the opening event in creating the world’s largest digital exhibition dedicated exclusively to poetry on January 31, at 6 p.m at Facebook.com/Versopolis
More then 30 partners, initiatives and poets did already send us their contribution (find them listed in this newsletter below!), but don't hestitate to contact us, in case you want to join in, too.

Throughout the month of February we will dedicate the Versopolis' channels to different themes with the voices of our community.

How can poetry and literature contribute to the enviromental challenges that we face as society today? How is A.I. influcening our way of thinking, communicating and producing text? Can we overcome prejudice, discrimination and hate speech through the power of literature?

Theses and more questions we raise in five dedicated sections in the upcoming weeks! Looking forward to your participation as contributors and of course as our readers!

your VERSOPOLIS teamPOETRY EXPO 23Themes

Poetry and literature can contribute to addressing climate and environmental challenges, as well as the risks of a polarized world or the discussion on how A.I. will change the world in a number of ways.

One way is by raising awareness and educating the public about these issues. Through the use of powerful and evocative language, poets and authors can help people to understand and connect, and to feel a sense of urgency about these issues.Another way that poetry and literature can contribute is by fostering emotional engagement and empathy. By sharing personal stories and perspectives, writers can help people to understand the human impact of climate and environmental changes, as well as the way how we communicate with eachother.Additionally, poetry and literature can also inspire people to take action and make changes in their own lives. Through the use of imagery and metaphor, poets and authors can help people to envision a better future, and to feel motivated to work towards creating it.All this may play into our conversations on how poetry and literature can have a valuable role in raising awareness, fostering engagement, and inspiring action. Let's explore the possibilities with the means of our languages and words together.

Participants
Poetry Expo 2023
As a European poetry platform, Versopolis creates new opportunities
for emerging European poets and poetesses. In it's annual digital festival we broaden the context even further and participants from all corners of the literary scene join in.

This year we have poetry festivals such as Ars Poetica from Slovakia, Hausacher LeseLenz from Germany or Cork International Poetry Festival that takes place in Irland join.

Organizations from as far as PEN Bangladesh and PEN Armenia participate as well as the National Museum of Literature in Bucharest, Romania. But also collectivs such as Encyclopedic Poetry School all the way from China and publishers like Vakxikon (Greece) and Editio Plurilingua (Hungary). And many individuals such as Valerie Wolf Gang (Slovenia), Daniela Calisi (Italy) and Lina Buividaviciute (Lithuania).

Be part of this illustrious group and support Poetry Expo 2023.
Participants

A Palavra
Alessandra Greco
Bart Jaques
Burg Hülshoff – Center for Literature
Càrna
Cloud 9 Pavilion
Covadonga Fernández García
De Verhalenwerf interculturele vzw
Homer Medal
Jazra Khaleed
João Meirinhos
Latvian Literature and poetry collective Orbita
Laura Cristin
Maarten Inghels
Orbita collective
Patras World Poetry Festival
PoezieCentrum
Red Door Magazine
Rucksack a Global Poetry Patchwork
Rui Cóias
Simona Nastac - National Museum of Literature in Bucharest
SlovoKul
Sophie Reyer
Suman Kabiraj
Survivors Poetry
Udruženje Alia Mundi
write4word
Xiaoyuan Yin / Encyclopedic Poetry School
ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival

VIR: Versopolis