Thank you for making the 54th Poetry International Festival unforgettable!

June 10, 2024

"Poetry to the Power of Two"- and beyond!

Thank you for making the 54th Poetry International Festival unforgettable!

This year’s festival theme - "Poetry to the Power of Two"-  showed us how poetry can multiply infinitely, transcending languages and borders. Your enthusiasm and participation made this event a festive celebration of poetry and a chapter to remember in our never-ending book!

The Grand Opening on the 6th of June gave a sneak peek of the poetic talent that was about to be unleashed for three full days with over 20 poets from countries such as Iceland, South Africa, Macedonia, Jamaica, Palestine, Algeria, The United States of America, Hong Kong, Cape Verde and more.

At LantarenVenster, we brought poetry to the catwalk, hosted poetry speed dates, sang karaoke, explored two cities, had poetry and therapy sessions, walked through different disciplines, held poetry debates, discovered our green and red flags, merged poetry and philosophy, were star struck during Saul Williams' masterclass, examined the translatability of poetry, had a poetic lunch, engaged children with poetry, watched poets interview each other, explored poets' heritage, and celebrated the Buddingh' prize nominees and winner.

Our stages were graced by Motel Pöezie, Unwanted Words, Guiding Voices, and The Writer's Guide (to the Galaxy)!

At Verhalenhuis Belvédère, we attended workshops on translating queer poetry, writing poetry solo and in groups, performing poetry, translating multilingual poems, illustrating poems, using art as protest, and exploring visual vernacular concepts.

We designed programs for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and were given sign language lessons. We had a dedicated booth and saw performances blending spoken word and sign language, breaking taboos and culminating in a celebration with both deaf and hearing performers and audiences.

In the foyer, we created real-time poems with the AI poem booth, partnered with Amnesty International, found peace in the Slow Down corner, browsed books, enjoyed the tasty goodies of the poetry food bar and shopped some merch, all while the stage was the centre star of our attention! By night, we danced the nights away on the rhythms of Djocelyn, Gasper Nali, Imaginarium and LAKSHMI.

For 54 years, poetry, for us, is not the destination, but the journey we continue to write along with all the travellers who join us along the way, and although we closed the 54th chapter, the book is far from being finished. Therefore, we happily invite you to join us next year for the 55th Poetry International Festival, anniversary edition!

Our exclusive "I'll be there" tickets are now available for purchase until June 30th! These tickets are limited, so be sure to grab yours soon and secure your spot at next year's festival.

Thank you once again for being a part of our poetry community. Until next year!

With love,  

The Poetry International Festival Team