18th poesiefestival berlin: Europe_ Fata Morgana
18.01.2017
The 18th poesiefestival berlin is taking place from 16 to 24 June 2017 with the title ‘Europe_ Fata Morgana’ and is organised by the Haus für Poesie in co-operation with the Academy of Arts.
Reality, ideal or illusion: how do things stand for the European Union? What is happening to European values? The EU’s democratic identity is being shaken by strong centrifugal forces from within, with nation states manoeuvring to insulate themselves and a tide of right-wing populism eating at its very heart. For the many cultures it brings together it is more than just an economic community. Diversity, artistic freedom, freedom of thought and speech and exchange of ideas across national boundaries are what make up the world Europeans live in. People come from all over the world to find a future in peace and democracy. At the 18th poesiefestival berlin: Europe_ Fata Morgana the subject of discussion will be the very idea of Europe. The Haus für Poesie is inviting poets to Berlin from all over the world to use language to open up spaces for thought and explore fields of possibility.
The 18th poesiefestival berlin will be dedicated among other things to how Europe is seen from the outside. Poets from the 24 neighbouring EU countries will be presenting their reflections on the topic in the form of poetry. The Colloquium on the subject of Poetry and Propaganda will be looking at poetry co-opted into the service of radical positions, asking about its resistance potential and discussing how poetry, as a language art, can produce power and reality. The translation workshop VERSschmuggel / reVERSible Kurdish-German will be bringing poets to the stage who live in different countries and are exposed to harassment, persecution or ignorance on account of their language. 3D-Poesie beyond homeland and zeitgeist will feature artists from around the world who live in Berlin and are involved in experimenting with the three genres of dance, text and music.
The Berlin Poetry Lecture, inaugurated in 2016 as a new format for poetological discussion, is now a fixed part of the poesiefestival. The festival will be opening with Weltklang, a concert of verse, voices and languages with poets from around the world. To round off the festival there will be the Poetry Market with publishers’ bookstands, readings, live music and a programme for the kids.
18th poesiefestival berlin: Europe_ Fata Morgana
16-24 June 2017
Academy of Arts, Hanseatenweg 10, 10557 Berlin
The poesiefestival berlin is a project by the Haus für Poesie in co-operation with the Academy of Arts and gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Capital Cultural Fund (Hauptstadtkulturfonds).
The festival motif for download: www.haus-fuer-poesie.org/de/presse
About the poesiefestival berlin:
The poesiefestival berlin is the largest of its kind in Europe. Each year it brings some 150 eminent poets and artists to Berlin from around the world. As well as the book, poetry has long been seeking out different forms of presentation and experimenting with theatre, performance, music, dance, film and digital media. The festival offers the experience of poetry in all its diversity of forms and welcomes around 13,000 visitors each year. It has been taking place since 2000; since 2008 the festival venue has been the Academy of Arts (Hanseatenweg 10).