Starting today and for the next four days (10-13 December), Patras World Poetry Festival, one of the biggest literary institutions, will turn the capital of Western Greece into a digital cultural hub. Amid adverse health conditions, 60 Greek and foreign poets from 16 countries around the world warmly responded to Patras’ call and are coming together in a four-day online event, aiming to bring poetry to the national and international fore.

 

The festival’s schedule comprises poetry readings as well as six poetry meetings among which ‘The therapeutic function of poetry in education’, ‘Convergences and divergences of generations in the uttermost poetics’, ‘National poets and the modern function of their works’ ‘Poetry in the era of covid-19’, providing participants with the opportunity to discuss and exchange thoughts about their art and poetry’s role in our everyday life. Poets from England, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Canada, Australia, India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Cyprus and Greece are among the ones to participate in the online events of the festival.

During the Festival, there will also take place the nomination of the ‘Jean Moreas Poetry Awards 2020’, a major cultural institution referring to the Greek poetic art and poetic production in its entire range, which is highly appreciated by Greek literary and artistic cycles. Among the awards to be given are: the Award for Best Poetry Collection, the Award for Newcomer Poet, the Jean Moreas Award, the Kostis Palamas Honor Prize Award and the Award for the Promotion of Greek Literature. 

Under the auspices of the President of the Hellenic Republic Ms Aikaterini Sakellaropoulou and with the support of major universities (University of Western Macedonia, University of Patras, Hellenic Open University, European University of Cyprus) and institutions, the Festival is organized by the Poetry Foundation “Grafeion Poiiseos”, the literary website Culture Book in cooperation with the Region of Western Greece.

All events will be broadcast to the audience live through the digital literary website www.culturebook.gr from the 10th until the 13th of December between 11:30 -14:00 & 19:00-21:30.

TAGS: LITERATURE & BOOKS | READING GREECE