9 Days for You and for Poetry
The Barcelona International Poetry Festival can be felt in Barcelona's every corner, ready to show us present-day poetic creation.
Poetry is one of those genres that most have forgotten without really knowing why or how it all got to that point. I must confess, feeling a bit ashamed, that I know hardly anything about poetry. That’s why it is time put procrastination aside and start enjoying everything that words, voices and reading can communicate to us.
As always, our beloved Barcelona comes to the rescue. What will it be today? What do you need? A serving of poetry? Coming up! Barcelona has always got answers and solutions for everything.
Last Tuesday, Poetry Night was the event that kicked off the Barcelona International Poetry Festival, also known as Barcelona Poetry. Nine intense days where poetry, in all possible forms and accents, will be the front and centre in over 20 venues around the city. Nine days that will indulge our senses with words by big names such as Perejaume, Chantal Maillard, Albert Pla, Rosa Maria Sardà, Hélène Cixous, Sftefano Benni, Vladimir Kopicl and Milutin Petrovic, among many others.
The festival will end on Thursday 17 with the Jocs Florals [Floral Games]. By then it should have fulfilled its four clear objectives: offer poetic events that we won’t be able to find the rest of the year, strengthen Barcelona’s poetic fabric, increase the number of visitors and get international exposure.
If you’re still not completely convinced, perhaps the icing on the cake will make it for you: Barcelona Poetry is one of the oldest poetry festivals in the world and it is supported by many institutions and citizens in Europe.
So, is it really a must-go-to event? Of course ladies and gentlemen.
Barcelona Poetry
Various locations in Barcelona. More information here.
Until 17 May.