Rotterdam – This years Poetry International theme is Word On The Street and it’s 56th edition will be held from June 4 till 7 and Newsdam will visit the festival. Hereby my favorite event each day.
321 words – 2 minuts
Dominique de Groen & Hendri Yulius Wijaya
Vrijdag 19:15 – 20:15
Poets Hendri Yulius Wijaya (ID) and Dominique de Groen (BE)
Hendri Yulius Wijaya comes from Indonesia and is this year’s Poet in Residence at Poetry International. He is considered one of the few openly queer poets in Indonesia, and an important queer voice within the predominantly Islamic country. Dominique de Groen comes from Belgium and, despite her young age, has already won several major awards, including the Jan Campert Prize in 2022 and the Frans Vogel Poetry Prize in 2019. She now fights for the environment with her restrained delivery and raw language.
Curious to see how these two will find common ground.
Film + Q&A: Somewhere Else Entirely
Saturday 12:45-14:15
Songwriter Ruth Fainlight (USA)
Emily Andersen made the film Somewhere Else Entirely about poet Ruth Fainlight. Ruth Fainlight (1931) was born in New York and moved to England at the age of fifteen. She built a versatile body of work spanning poetry, short stories and translations, and moved in literary circles that included Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. In Somewhere Else Entirely the poet reflects on writing, memory and loss of her love ones..
Poetry International x Hiphophuis: Straatfeminisme
Sunday 12:30-13:30
Researcher drs. Kim Dankoor Songwriters Sherr, Ella Johh, Milka Martins and Kelly Bigirindavyi
I wish that I could go to my favorite Dutch songwriter Spinvis (Erik de Jong) at Saturday (13:00-13:45) but then I am watching Somewhere Else Entirely. On Sunday, I have my last chance to meet songwriters and therefore I dive together with researcher drs. Kim Dankoor (Utrecht University / Leiden University) into the power of poetry within rap and examine how hip‑hop contributes to the conversation on intersectional feminism.