Patras World Poetry Festival

DECEMBER 10th - 13th 2020

We would like to inform you that due to the implementation of a new lockdown in our country and the increase in the number of coronavirus cases, the organizing and scientific committee of the “Jean Moréas International Awards” and the Patras International Poetry Festival postpones the date of the event on December, 10-13 of 2020.

Digital Event

The Patras World Poetry Festival 2020 this year is entitled "National Poets" and plans to host 60 poets from 15 different countries around the world.

This year the festival be held online and virtually, as far as COVID-19 impact affects significantly the implementation of this event.

In the four-day online event there will be 6 meetings lasting up to 3 hours, where the guest poets will be presented with readings in 2 languages, via live connection. The events will be attended by invited representatives of institutions and the jury, while the program will include speeches, presentations, tributes, music, etc.

In addition, the following activities will take place within the schedule of the Festival events:

online Award of the annual Greek Poetry Awards "Jean Moréas" (Saturday December 12th)
Art Exhibition "National Poets" with the participation of 20 Greek artists and 10 artists from different countries (live and digital tour)
Collectible trilingual edition of the poems of the participants, in the first language of each artist, in Greek and English

The 3rd Patras World Poetry Festival 2020 is organized by the Poetry Fountation “Grafeion Poiiseos”, the literary website Culture Book (culturebook.gr) and the multicultural center Epikentro Plus History & Arts, while every year it is under the auspices of the Ministries of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism*. Supporters of the event are the Greek Library of London, the Cultural Center “Kostis Palamas”, the University of Western Macedonia, the Hellenic Open University and many other important institutions, as claimed under the Aegis of the President of the Hellenic Republic.

Awarding of Poetry Awards "Jean Moréas" for the year 2019

This annual event will be held digitally at one session of the PWPF Poetry Event 2020, with a presentation of the award-winning poets and recitations by them. This is the annual event during which the "Jean Moréas" Prizes are awarded for Greek poetic art and Greek poetic production in its entire range. They are recognizable nationwide and concern the poetry collections that were published throughout the previous calendar year from the year of the award. They refer both to young poets and newcomers and to those who are recognized with their poetic work along time.

The event is highly appreciated by the Greek literary and artistic circle of readers. In this year's event, in addition to the institutionalized awards, a very important foreign poet will be honored, who with his/her lifelong work honors the literature outside Greece.The Award Committee is composed of Greek University professors, as well as very important poets and poetry critics who will evaluate the work of the honorees.

Sincerely,

On behalf of the organizing committee.

Kotopoulos H. Triantafyllos, President of the “Patras World Poetry Festival”

Skiathas D. Antonis, President of the Poetry Fountation “Grafeion Poiiseos”

Alaniadi Maria, Event Manager of the “Patras World Poetry Festival”

Marta López Vilar, Spain

Patras World Poetry Festival PWPF 2021 Participants

Πέμπτη, 09 Δεκεμβρίου 2021

0 Σχόλια

Marta López Vilar, Spain

THE TREE

The Poems

THE TREE

I look at the tree bathed in sunlight. I look at its branches, its leaves,
I observe how its roots emerge from the dirt. The sun rises
and nothing seems to end ever. All things return to their beginning:
the wind, the little bird looking at me through the tree, all around the grass that's
growing. I near my hand to the sunlight passing through the
branches. Just a little closer and I could caress it. I stand still under
the tree. Everything fits in this light which penetrates the leaves. Everything.
Everything fits in my fingers. All of a sudden my name. All of a sudden my heart.
Tree, beautiful tree, who knows not of the night, protect me.

Poems of Marta Lopez Vilar, from her book The Great Forest (2019)

Translation (Greek to English): Manos Apostolidis

ΤΟ ΔΕΝΤΡΟ

Κοιτάζω το δέντρο το λουσμένο στον ήλιο. Κοιτάζω τα κλαδιά του, τα φύλλα,
παρατηρώ τον τρόπο που οι ρίζες του ξεπηδούν μέσα απ' το χώμα. Ξημερώνει
και τίποτα δε φαίνεται να τελειώνει ποτέ. Όλα επιστρέφουν στην αρχή τους:
ο άνεμος, το μικρό πουλί που με κοιτά μέσα από το δέντρο, τριγύρω το χορτάρι
που μεγαλώνει. Πλησιάζω το χέρι μου στο φως του ήλιου που περνά μέσα από
τα κλαδιά. Λίγο ακόμα και θα μπορούσα να το χαϊδέψω. Στέκομαι ακίνητη κάτω
από το δέντρο. Τα πάντα χωρούν σ' αυτό το φως που διαπερνά τα φύλλα. Τα πάντα.
Τα πάντα χωρούν στα δάχτυλά μου. Ξαφνικά τ' όνομά μου. Ξαφνικά η καρδιά μου.
Δέντρο, όμορφο δέντρο που δε γνωρίζεις τη νύχτα, προστάτευσέ με.

Ποιήματα της Μάρτα Λόπεθ Βιλάρ, του βιβλιου Το Μεγάλο Δάσος (2019)

(Μετάφραση: Σταμάτης Πολενάκης)

* * *

THE STORM

It was raining and the last light of the afternoon flickered. The landscape was fragmenting.
One last drop: the ruined tram, the synagogue, the destroyed Forest.
The dark sky resounding. Forget the birds. You cannot save them.
Tomorrow go pick up whatever survived, that which exists no more, like a shipwreck.
Start building anew the tram, the synagogue, the Forest of the birds.
And then rest.

Poems of Marta Lopez Vilar, from her book The Great Forest (2019)
Translation (Greek to English): Manos Apostolidis

Η ΚΑΤΑΙΓΙΔΑ

Έβρεχε και τρεμόσβηνε το τελευταίο φως του απογεύματος. Το τοπίο θρυμματιζόταν.
Μια τελευταία σταγόνα: το διαλυμένο τραμ, η συναγωγή, το κατεστραμμένο Δάσος.
Αντιλαλούσε ο σκοτεινός ουρανός. Ξέχνα τα πουλιά. Δεν μπορείς να τα σώσεις.
Αύριο να περιμαζέψεις ό,τι επέζησε, αυτό που δεν υπάρχει πια, σαν ένα ναυάγιο.
Να ξαναφτιάξεις από την αρχή το τραμ, τη συναγωγή, το Δάσος των πουλιών.
Και ν' αναπαυθείς.

Ποιήματα της Μάρτα Λόπεθ Βιλάρ, του βιβλιου Το Μεγάλο Δάσος (2019)

(Μετάφραση: Σταμάτης Πολενάκης)

The Poet

Marta López Vilar (Madrid, 1978) holds a PhD in Philology from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. She is currently a lecturer in the Department of Romance, French, Italian and Translation Studies at the Complutense University. She has published the books of poetry: De sombras y sombreros olvidados (Amargord, 2007. "Blas de Otero Poetry Prize"), La palabra esperada (Hiperión, 2007. "Young Poetry Art Prize of the Community of Madrid"), En las aguas de octubre (Bartleby, 2016) and El Gran Bosque (Pre-Textos, 2019. "Margarita Hierro International Poetry Prize"). She is the author of the edition of the book (Tras)lúcidas. Poesía escrita por mujeres (1980-2016) (Bartleby, 2016). As a translator of literature, she has edited the books Dos viajes al más allá (ELR Ediciones, 2005) and Elegías de Bierville, by the Catalan poet Carles Riba (Libros del Aire, 2011). She is also a literary critic.