Copenhagen International Poetry Festival 2012

26th - 28th April
Copenhagen
International
Poetry Festival
2012
GREAT
AT PO
A
POETS
ET FROM
AROUND THE WORLD
JOIN TOG
TOGETHER IN
COPENHAGEN
Copenhagen International Poetry Festival is back.
From Thursday the 26th to Saturday the 28th of
April we put Copenhagen on hold and celebrate
poetry. During these days, poetry will prevail in
all the city’s neglected corners and narrow book
cafes and reverberate under the wooden beams in
LiteraturHaus. From the microphones of the canal
tour, voices of poets will crackle over the city
from the sea side. At the Nørrebro cemetery, Assistens Kirkegård, the graves of prominent Danish
writers will be sorrounded with words and voices,
and in the northwestern part of town, we will
celebrate the beautiful new library. The 26th to
the 28th of April is a piece of detached time
that belongs to you who are interested in poetry.
During the three days, you have 16 chances to
experience this abundance of enchanting poems
and poets, either at LiteraturHaus, Møllegades
Boghandel, the Spanish book-café Rayuela, Biblioteket at Bispebjerg, the Canal Boats and Assistens Kirkegård.
You can look forward to meeting poetry in German,
Swedish, English, Italian, Faroese, Estonian,
Polish, Turkish and Danish. Nearly every foreignlanguage poet and nearly every Danish poet will
be available in translation at the festival.
Go on holiday from April 26th to April 28th and
take part in the International Poetry Festival at
full blast.
PARTICIPANTS:
-
Ataol Behramoğlu
As a representative
Turkish literature,
worth
experiencing.
is a social critic,
Urszula Koziol
between?”. This is a question, among others, that
the Polish poet Urszula Koziol (b. 1931, Bilgo
raj) muses over in her poetry. The modern world
of chaos, war and racing technology are all
themes that catch the interest of Urszula Koziol.
However, she searches for whatever is beneath.
Human behaviour as well as the ambiguities and
contradictions in everyday life are paramount in
“W rytmie korzeni” – a collection of poems with
which she had her breakthrough in 1963. Urszula
Koziol expresses herself with a unique sensibil
ity, and with concision and intensity as well.
She studied Polish at the University of Wroclaw,
and was editor of and monthly contributor at the
literary magazine, “Odra”, until recently. Her
work furthermore includes novels, short stories
and plays for both theatre and radio.
Photo: Pieter Vandermeer
of a new revolutionary current in
the prominent poet, translator and
First and foremost Ataol Behramoğlu
and clearly his engagement in cul
on his epic poetry. Ataol Behramoğlu debuted with a col
lection of poems in 1965, while his second book of verse
lished in 1970, with its elements of surrealism and sym
bolism, has been reprinted many times until today. Also,
he has been an executive committee member of the Turkish
Peace Association, which got him arrested in connection
with the Turkish military coup d’état in 1980.
Ursula Scavenius
Ursula Scavenius (b. 1981) holds an M.A. in comparative literature and italian language and
culture from the University of Copenhagen and is
currently a student at the National School of
Creative Writing in Copenhagen. Earlier, she has
worked as a freelance writer at the Danish magazine for architecture “Byggeri & Arkitektur”. She
has had poems published in the literary magazines
“Apparatur” and “Hvedekorn” and is a regular
participant in recitations. About her writing,
Scavenius herself says, that she does not want to
write literature that merely entertains. Rather,
she seeks to engage her reader by challenging
rules of style and genre in her poetry.
Pablo Llambias
The Danish multi-talent Pablo Henrik Llambias was
born in 1964 near the city of Aalborg, Jutland.
He has studied trombone at the Royal Academy of
Music, Aarhus, Film and Media Studies at the Uni
versity of Copenhagen, and holds an M.A. in theo
ry and communications from the Royal Danish Acad
emy of Fine Arts. Llambias has taught creative
writing at the University of Southern Denmark and
the National School of Creative Writing in Copen
hagen, where he currently presides as headmaster.
Llambias started his career as an author in 1996
when he published “Hun har en altan” and has recently published a collection of sonnets entitled
“Monte Lema” (2011). In it, he writes about his
experiences as a teacher in an honest, self-disclosing style using autobiographical material to
ponder phenomena such as art, love, illness and
anxiety. Photo: Per Morten Abrahamsen
Peter Poulsen
The Danish poet Peter Poulsen (b. 1940,
Frederiksberg) brings you around the world with
his poetry; he brings you into the music of jazz,
social environments and political relations. He
brings you into the wonders of nature, death and
everyday life. Common for his work, though, is
the casualness, tenderness and humour with which
he expresses his poetry. Peter Poulsen debuted
in 1966 with the poetry collection “Udskrifter”.
The ongoing list of published work has grown long
ever since, and in 2010 his latest collection
of poems “Rulleteksterne” was published. He has
received various prizes, and at the same time he
translation. He has translated poetry of world
famous poets such as Charles Baudelaire and Jorge
Luis Borges.
Kristiina Ehin
Kristiina Ehin (b. 1977) has an M.A. in Comparative and Estonian Folklore from the University of
Tartu, Estonia, and has spent a year on an uninhabited island on the north coast of Estonia
as a nature reserve warden, writing her fourth
poetry collection “Kaitseala” (2005). Kristiina Ehin does poetry, fairytales and plays. She is a
journalist, a dance teacher and a storyteller; a
woman of the modern and contemporary Finno-Ugricity as well as an old sense of eclipsed wisdom.
Her poetry glows in the sense of continuity with
Estonia’s ancient musical heritage and her reverence for nature. Kristiina Ehin celebrates womanhood in her poetry, drawing up all strings of
love in her characteristic honesty. Kristiina
Ehin is a poetic prism and founder of the 1st In
ternational Full Moon Poetry Festival in Estonia.
Jesper Sternberg
Jesper Sternberg (b. 1973) is a Danish poet based
in Copenhagen and Berlin. He started as a conceptual literary street artist and has been active on the literary scene since 2001. Last year
Sternberg published “Stenalderdigte”, in which
a tentative and entertaining tone, often exploring whether it is possible to communicate in poem
form. Sternberg is now a member of the poetry
collective Øverste Kirurgiske and the poet band
T/S Sterndolph. His previous publications include
“Et punkt overrendt af ingenting” (2011), “Radikale mennesker og hjem i et længst eksploderet
kvarter” (2010) and “Buddha med hund” made in a
collaboration with Peter Laugesen.
Laura Garavaglia
Laura
Garavaglia (b. 1956, Milan) is an Ital
ian poet with a degree in human geography from
the University of Milan. She has received several
literary prizes for her poetry – latest for her
collection of poems “Farfalle e pietre” published
in 2010. Her poems have been published in vari
ous anthologies. Laura Garavaglia is deeply en
gaged in the literary environment in Como, where
she has lived and worked for many years; in 2011
she was the co-organizer of the literary festi
val “Parolario” in Como. She is the chairman of
the cultural association “La Casa Della Poesia di
Como” with the purpose of disseminating poetry
in the area of Como and she is currently work
ing at the cultural section of the Como newspaper
“L’Ordine” – to mention a few.
It is a fragmented version of everyday life, that
(b.
1975) latest collection of poems “Männis
kor och Verksamheter” from 2010. The poems are
written in a condensed style with a scarcity of
words. They capture seemingly trivial, everyday
events and connect them to wider existential is
sues concerning meetings, breaking up, moving,
growing older just to name a few. “Människor och
Verksamheter” is Kullmann’s second collection
from 2009. Prior to her writing career, she has
worked as a visual artist exhibiting at galleries throughout Sweden. She has a degree from
Umeå Academy of Fine Arts and has completed the
Biskop-Arnö seminar in creative writing. Furthermore, she has been published in the new nordic
book series, “Noord”, together with contributions
from the Danish writer Lars Skinnebach and Sigurd
Tenningen from Norway.Photo: Lisa Marker
-
-
-
Adda Djørup (b. 1972) is a Danish author and poet with a BA in literature from the Univer- sity of Copenhagen. She is known for her impeccable and accurate language and her ability to sense and observe - often served with a little
humour on the side. She scrutinizes and seeks the
boundaries between fantasy and realism, and is
not afraid to immerse herself in great existential topics. She debuted in 2005 with the colnovel “Den mindste modstand”, published in 2009,
was more than well received by the readers and
it, furthermore, received the EU literary award
thinking – with no other purpose than the very
act of doing just that. In 2011 she published her
second and latest collection of poems, “37 Postkort”.
Majse Aymo-Boot (b. 1974) is a Danish author and
poet – and a graduate from the National School
of Creative Writing in Copenhagen in the year of
2000. She is currently the editor of the liter
ary publishing house “Basilisk”, and her poems
which at the moment is launching the literary
experiment “Lædersvinets Kulturbibliotek”. Majse
Aymo-Boot debuted in 2001 with a collection of
poems “Venner og bekendte”. Recently, “Ødelæg
gelsen 1-11” was published – a collection of 11
judging today’s lifestyle and society, each in a
highly original manner. Majse Aymo-Boot serves
her poetry with little sentimentality; on the
an intense language.
The Faeroese poet, musician and visual artist,
Tóroddur Poulsen, was born in 1957 in Tòrshavn.
Since his 1984 début, “Botnfall”, he has pub
lished more than 20 collections of poetry. He of
ten employs a humourous, provocative and experi
mental style of writing, which has earned him the
nickname “the black punk poet” back home. Tórod
dur Poulsen moved to Copenhagen in 1995 where
he currently lives and works and several of his
texts have been translated into Danish, Swedish,
Norwegian and German. With his unique interdis
ciplinary combination of poetry, music and per
formance art, we are in for a treat when Poulsen
pays a visit to the Copenhagen International Po
etry Festival.
Ulrike Almut Sandig
Apart from her career as a poet, Ulrike Almut
Sandig (b. 1979 in Großenhain, Saxony) has studied journalism and has an M. A. in Religious
Studies and modern Indiology. In 2001, she cofounded the literary projects “augenpost” and
“ohrenpost”, in which she and the songwriter
Marlen Pelny spread poetry in the public space by
construction fences. In 2005 she debuted with the
collection of poems called “Zunder”. Since then,
she has co-edited the German literary journal,
“Edit”, and received her diploma from the German
Creative Writing Program in Leipzig, where she
currently lives and works. Ulrike Almut Sandig
writes poetry, prose and radio plays and several
of her texts have been translated into English,
French, Polish, Turkish, Bulgarian, Ukrainian and
Hindi.
Patrizia Valduga was born in Northern Italy in
1953. She is now living in Milan. During her visit we can expect poetry about being a woman. Her
poems are seeking, often with an erotic content
and with religious references. Patrizia Valduga
has been called provocative, almost vulgar. When
she is on stage, her physical appearance is at
the same time fragile and strong. This fragility,
though, contrasts with her strong and stubborn
glance. She let her marked collarbones show and
always insists on wearing velvet gloves. This is
a character you can’t miss out on!
PROGRAM:
Thursday, April 26th:
7 PM: World Poetry Meeting
Copenhagen International Poetry Festival 2012
begins with an abundance of poetry. It’s the kick
off for three intense days. An evening in words
and music, playing listening reading talking.
ATAOL BEHRAMOĞLU
PATRIZIA VALDUGA
PETER POULSEN
ULRIKE ALMUT SANDIG
URSZULA KOZIOŁ
Grand Piano: SEMION BALSCHEM
of a poem by one of our poets, the poem will be
read, while we dream ourselves away to this location. We don’t stop until we have traversed the
entire world.on the plane. The call themselves
Telescope and
ATAOL BEHRAMOĞLU
MAJSE AYMO-BOOT
PATRIZIA VALDUGA
URSZULA KOZIOŁ
8 PM: The word goes round
Four poets at a coffee table. None of them have
noticed the audience. What might they talk about,
and what poems do they read to each other when
they’re alone together?
10 PM: Men’s poetry, poems about men
The male gender and the concept of masculinity are undergoing changes, taking new forms and
ADDA DJØRUP
KRISTIINA EHIN
LAURA GARAVAGLIA
ULRIKE ALMUT SANDIG
the outlines of the new man?
10 PM: FestivalCafé
A relaxed evening where we come together, while
CHRISTINA KULLMANN
PABLO LLAMBÍAS
PETER POULSEN
URSULA SCAVENIUS
10 PM: Remembering recently deceased poets
A quiet evening, where each of our poets tell of
another poet, a kindred spirit or dear colleague,
a great or ardent poet, who is no longer with us.
We read some of his/her poems.
ATAOL BEHRAMOĞLU
LAURA GARAVAGLIA
URSZULA KOZIOŁ
11.30 PM: Festival Café
A relaxed evening where we come together, while
night fade out.
KRISTIINA EHIN
Friday, April 27th:
5 – 6.30 PM: Poetry by the Sea
We take a small ocean trip, or rather, a trip
around the Copenhagen harbor, while we get a little tour around the World Literature, or rather,
poems written by these four poets. Water rhythm,
verse rhythms, sounds, lights, changing outlook.
We depart and end at Havnegade 44. Stops at Den
Sorte Diamant and the School of Architecture.
ADDA DJØRUP
KRISTIINA EHIN
ULRIKE ALMUT SANDIG
URSULA SCAVENIUS
6 PM: Nordic voices
In the Nordic countries we are bound together by
our common history. And we have birch trees and
blue eyes. Do the Nordic poets of today write
Nordic poems? Come and listen for yourself at
Møllegades Boghandel.
CHRISTINA KULLMANN
JESPER STERNBERG
MAJSE AYMO-BOOT
TÓRODDUR POULSEN
8 PM: Timezone-poetry
We take off at the dateline and set the globe
spinning. When we arrive at the place of origin
night fade out.
JESPER STERNBERG
URSULA SCAVENIUS
Saturday, April 28th:
2PM: Reading at Assistens Kirkegård
This reading takes place at Assistens Kirkegård
before Hans Christian Andersen’s grave, in the
very special aura that engulfs the place. We meet
at the grave. Follow the signs.
KRISTIINA EHIN
PETER POULSEN
URSZULA KOZIOŁ
2 PM: Warm and cold poems
The Italian language is spoken in the warm climate of Southern Europe, whilst Danish is spoken in the North. What is the temperature of the
poems of these two languages? Come and listen for
yourself at Rayuela.
LAURA GARAVAGLIA
PABLO LLAMBÍAS
PATRIZIA VALDUGA
URSULA SCAVENIUS
3 PM: World Poetry
We meet in the beautiful, newly constructed library, Biblioteket, in the north-western area of
Copenhagen. It was conceived by Cobe and Transform et al., and we would like to welcome Biblioteket to the International Poetry Festival
with this afternoon of readings.
ATAOL BEHRAMOĞLU
CHRISTINA KULLMANN
JESPER STERNBERG
TÓRODDUR POULSEN
This reading takes place at Assistens Kirkegård
before Søren Kierkegaard’s grave, in the very
special aura that engulfs the place. We meet at
the grave. Follow the signs.
MAJSE AYMO-BOOT
ULRIKE ALMUT SANDIG
INFORMATION:
URSULA SCAVENIUS
7 PM: Love poems
Everyone knows love. Love that shades the entire
world as well as love that can no longer survive.
Still, in poetry we can continue to experience
and understand love in ever new ways. Do all poets nourish a love for love? Listen for yourself
this evening.
The information booth at Møllegade 7 is open
Thursday and Friday from 4 PM and Saturday from
1 PM onwards. If you have any questions about
the events, you may call 33 32 98 18 or send an
e-mail to [email protected]. Festival news
and eventual changes to the program will be announced at http://www.poesifestival.dk. Here,
you can also study the festival program and poet
bios.
TICKET PRICES:
ADDA DJØRUP
KRISTIINA EHIN
PABLO LLAMBÍAS
PATRIZIA VALDUGA
7 PM: The word goes round
Four poets at a coffee table. None of them have
noticed the audience. What might they talk about,
and what poems do they read to each other when
they’re alone together?
ATAOL BEHRAMOĞLU
JESPER STERNBERG
PETER POULSEN
TÓRODDUR POULSEN
9 PM: Poetry Party and the seventh anniversary of
LiteraturHaus
After three days of hard work, the writers deserve an evening of fun and relaxation. LiteraturHaus also celebrates its seventh anniversary,
and what better way to mark the occasion than
letting the Poetry Festival evolve into a Poetry
Party.
CHRISTINA KULLMANN
LAURA GARAVAGLIA
Tickets can be bought at the information booth
by the entrance at Møllegade 7 and Rayuela, Møllegades Boghandel, Biblioteket and the quay of
the Canal Boats during the events that take place
there. Only single-day tickets are sold. They
cost 70 kr. a piece and 50 kr. for students with
a student’s card. Tickets are valid for all
events on the day of purchase. However, there are
no numbered seats and no possibility for reserving seats. So make sure you arrive in good time.
Events taking place at Assistens Kirkegård are
free.
ADDRESSES:
All events take place at LiteraturHaus, Møllegade
7, 2200 KBH N, except the readings at the following places:
Møllegades Boghandel, Møllegade 8A, 2200 KBH Nright across the street from LiteraturHaus
Rayuela, Fælledvej 5, 2200 KBH N
Assistens Kirkegård, Kapelvej 4, 2200 KBH N
Biblioteket, Rentemestervej 76m 2400 KBH NV.
The Canal Boats. Departure from Havnegade 44,
1058 KBH K - You can get to the pick-up place by
taking the Metro to Kongens Nytorv. From here,
walk across the square to Nyhavn where you follow
the right side of the canal. When reaching the
waterfront, turn right and you’ll be right there.
FOOD:
The kitchen at LiteraturHaus is relatively small,
which means we will not be able to cook for everyone. However, we will make a brave attempt. If
you wish to dine here, arrive early. Dinner takes
places thursday at 6 PM and friday/saturday at 1
PM and 6 PM.
ACCESS:
CREDITS /THANKS:
We would like to thank Kunstrådets Litteraturudvalg and Augustinus Fonden for vital economic support. We would also like to thank Literaturhaus Rostock, Literaturwerkstatt Berlin,
Biblioteket, Thomas Boberg, Niels Hav, Asger
Schnack, Kristina Stoltz, Janina Katz, Møllegades
Boghandel, the Spanish Book Café Rayuela and all
interns and volunteers without whose efforts,
this festival would not have been possible.
You can get to LiteraturHaus by taxi, on a bike,
by foot, or with buses 5A and 350S. Metro and
S-trains go to Nørreport station, from where you
can take bus 5A or 350S. Get off at Kapelvej
from bus 5A, or from bus 350S. If you arrive by
car, remember to get a Pay and Display ticket.
Thursday and Friday, parking is 11 kr. per hour
between 8AM and 11PM. Between 11PM and 8AM, it
costs 3 kr. per hour. Saturday the price is 10
kr. per hour between 8AM and 5PM. Parking is free
after 5PM on Saturday.The night bus 81N leaves
from Nørrebrogade towards Ballerup until 4:39 AM
on Saturday night, and towards Dragør until 4:19
AM. Night bus 84N leaves from Nørrebrogade towards Hvidovre Hospital until 04:33 AM on Saturday night, and towards Buddinge until 4:48AM.
HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY:
Conditions for the physically challenged are not
so good. The café, in which some events take
place and the toilets are situated, is 6 steps
down. Most arrangements are in the hall, 11 steps
up. There is no elevator or comparable aids.
If you wish to book LiteraturHaus for an event,
please contact director Paul Opstrup at [email protected]
Would you like to take part in developing LiteraturHaus? Please write to [email protected]