Ashraf Aboul-Yazid

Cuba Poetry Cultural Center invited world poets to participate in the 30th Havana International Poetry Festival (Havana Virtual Poetry Rally), from May 27 to June 1, 2024.

The “CubaPoesía” Cultural Center, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, the Cuban Book Institute, the Poetry Section of the UNEAC Writers Association, the Ibero-American Center for Décima and Improvised Verse, the World Poetry Movement, the Project Cultural Sur, Claustrophobias Literary Promotions, the Office of the City Historian and the Cuban Chamber of Books, call for the 30th Havana International Poetry Festival and its Virtual Poetry Rally, from May 27 to June 1, 2024, dedicated to the poetry of Africa, on the 90th anniversary of the poet, anthropologist and Africanist Natalia Bolívar.

With the Honorary Presidency of the great Cuban poet Nancy Morejón, National Prize for Literature, the Festival will include the usual spaces “CubaPoesia itinerante”, the promotional work of the National School of Poetry of the World Poetry Movement for reading and creative writing and the Meeting of Poets in Defense of Humanity which, on this occasion, will be dedicated to the fight for peace.

The authors invited to the virtual Havana Poetry rally must send their video recordings, which will be received (in English or Spanish), on the festivaldepoesiadelahabana.com website until April 21, 2024. The videos will be 10 minutes long for poetry readings and 20 minutes for interventions in reflection forums.

Poetry lovers will be able to follow the festival sessions in real time through the cubapoesiafestival Facebook page, through the YouTube channel of the Virtual Poetry Meeting, the Cuba streaming network of the Cuban Ministry of Culture and the CubaPoesía website, the channel Telegram and profiles on Instagram and Twitter.

The organizing committee has iconic figures with the membership of Nancy Morejón, Waldo Leyva, Alex Pausides, Virgilio López Lemus, Karel Leyva Ferrer, Ricardo Alberto Pérez, Pierre Bernet, María de los Ángeles Polo, Alexander Besú, Lis Monsibaez, Julio César Sánchez, Yolanda Moreno and Katy D’Alfonso y Simón Carlos. They have given two email addresses to contact: alpausanias@gmail.com and karelalexei@gmail.com

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Ashraf Aboul-Yazid is an eminent poet, novelist, travelogue writer of Egypt who has authored over three dozen books. His poetry has been translated into over a dozen languages. He is Editor-in-Chief of Silk Road Literature Series.  

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Sindh Courier

Naoussa, Greece

Under the auspices of the Municipality of the Heroic City of Naoussa and organized by the “Association of the Conservatory of Naoussa” together with the “Movement for Arts and Poetry”, the 1st International Poetry Festival of Naoussa will be held from the 2nd to the 4th of September 2022 in the open air theater “Melina Mercouri”.

The program of the first international poetry festival entitled “Aristotle and the World” includes a parade with the flags of all participating countries through the town at the opening event, both the cultural presentation, especially of poetry, with recitations and melodic poetry with musical embellishments, as well as poetry and theater workshops for the presentation of poems, which will be given on the last day of the events, together with the awards!

The festival will be accompanied by a translation workshop with the participating poets and speeches from renowned translators and a book exhibition in Naoussa’s city park. Visits to the archaeological sites of Naoussa include the ancient theater of Mieza, Nymphaion, the Aristotle School, the Macedonian Tombs and the first Ski Resort of Greece “3-5 Pigadia”, which are also part of the hospitality of the Heroic City of Naoussa.

The organizers will focus on cultural diplomacy aimed towards friendship and peaceful coexistence! The ambassadors of the countries from which the participating poets will come will be invited. In addition to Greek poets, poets from Australia, Austria, Birland, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Italy, Kurdistan, Portugal and the United States of America are participating. “It is exciting that we have participants from countries that are far away such as Australia and the United States of America,” says Xanthi Hondrou-Hill, the organizer of the event.

The Festival is supported by the international chamber of writers and artists CIESART, PEN Greece, the World Poets Society and the International Academy LIC! The International Chamber of Poets is broadcasting all the activities of the Naoussa Festival on their TV Station!

The entrance is free for the public for all events of the festival in the open air theater, apart from the theater workshop which costs 10 Euros per person.

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From Our Correspondent in Cairo

The seventh edition of the International Poetry Festival in Rahovec town will be held from 15 to 17 September 2021. This year, Kosovo will host 20 selected world poets, thus promoting the national, cultural, artistic values ​​of Kosovo among the world’s most prominent poets, which also becomes the best cultural diplomacy.

It is worth noting that for the first time among the guests will be the Russian poet, Eldar Akhadov, a prominent name not only in Russia but also internationally.

Another prominent figure will be the Egyptian poet, novelist and journalist Ashraf Aboul-Yazid (Ashraf Dali), winner of Manhae’s Grand Prize in Literature (2014), who authored and translated 40 books. Many of these books have been translated into German, English, Turkish, Spanish, Persian, Korean, Sindhi and Malayalam.

Ashraf is currently AJA President and the editor in chief of the Silk Road literature series and anthology.

This year the poets have been selected with the greatest rigor, where the geographical criterion has been taken. There will be representatives from Denmark, Egypt, Russia, Austria, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, etc.

Rahovec is once again proving the centuries-old tradition of offering its guests the best hospitality. This area has a 2,000-year-old tradition of hospitality, grapes, wine and honest work that elevates it to ritual. This year, the Festival for the Diaspora will be offered through “TV Alb Se” in Sweden, along with media outlets in Albania and around the world. The director of the International Poetry Festival is the well-known poet Fahredin Shehu.

Fahredin Shehu is a World renowned poet from Kosovo who authored over 20 books: mainly Poetry, Essay, Novel, etc.

His poetry is translated in around 30 languages and brought him many literary prizes.  For his unique philosophical and Artistic expression he was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa and Lifetime Academic in Switzerland and was nominated for Pulitzer Prize.

He took part in over 30 International poetry festivals and over 50 world anthologies. He is The Director of International Poetry Festival in Kosovo, to be held annually in Rahovec.

Rahovec is a largely rural region in Kosovo, centered around the town of Rahovec. It is known for vineyards and wine-making. Rahovec is located in the agricultural rich Dukagjini Valley of western Kosovo. The town had 15,892 inhabitants, while the municipality 56,208 inhabitants and 35 villages.

The town is home to a large Shia Muslim Community with dervish lodges or tekkes found across the town.

The nearby Christina Orthodox sites in Hoça e Madhe (Velika Hoča) 8 km away and Zoqishtë (Zociste) include monasteries and churches and are well worth the visit. The Serb populated region is home to the winery of the Decani Monastery. Make sure to ask for raki and wine.

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