Memoirs of Vietnam 2nd International Poetry Festival held at Artists’ Hill
By Sherzod Artikov | Uzbekistan
When the doors of Artists’ Hill closed on the final day, we didn’t just pack up our belongings and say goodbye to familiar spaces, we carried with us a treasury of lingering emotions. From March 20 to 25, 2026, during the Second International Poetry Festival, what stayed in our hearts were not just images of poetry, but vivid moments of friendship, sharing, and learning together.
After returning home, letters from our international friends began to arrive. In every line, we could hear their voices, feel their warmth: “I have returned home safely, finally had a long, restful sleep, and now I am immersed in a wonderful task: organizing memories from Vietnam.” These words were more than letters, they were living echoes of the soul, gently reminding each of us of moments past, where every feeling mattered. As we read each letter, joy and emotion stirred within us. They remembered the mornings we met, the glances exchanged during poetry readings, and the quiet moments of sipping tea together, talking about life, plans, and words.
What lingered most, as they wrote, was not the official program, but the human side of it, friendships that blossomed, shared laughter, subtle silences, small gestures that spoke volumes. To them, the true value of the Festival lay in these connections, the real opportunities we had created together. We replied to these letters with heartfelt gratitude. We wrote that, while the festival had its imperfections, meals that weren’t always perfect, long hikes up the hill, small unexpected mishaps, none of it diminished the affection we feel for them. We cherished them, remembered them, and were grateful for the fresh, enchanting emotions they left behind at Artists’ Hill.
These letters went beyond words of thanks; they were invitations to continue. They hoped these connections would not just remain beautiful memories but become the start of something deeper and lasting. “Let us treasure these opportunities together. Let us continue what began there, stay in touch, and carry forward the stories, ideas, and friendships that started at Artists’ Hill” they wrote. Their words were a gentle reminder: beautiful memories endure only if we nurture and protect them.
Looking back on the Festival days, the poetry readings on buses, laughter spilling through the dining hall, simple meals brimming with friendship, conversations about the country, culture, and verses repeated amid laughter, we realize that despite different languages and backgrounds, the heartbeat of poetry erased every distance. These emotions have now become precious memories, carefully stored in our minds, in every letter, in every line.
Though the festival had its flaws, it was sincerity, enthusiasm, and those close human moments that made it truly valuable. Imperfections reminded us to be humble with resources, prepare better, and learn from experience but they never dimmed the warmth of the memories. We saw clearly that art and genuine friendship can rise above any obstacle.
In their letters, our friends shared that they were “organizing their memories,” revisiting each detail, each color of their experience in Vietnam. We did the same, recalling every glance, every smile, every seemingly small moment that together created the magic of those days. There was a quiet yet profound resonance: memories are not just the past—they are the foundation for new connections, new projects, and future meetings. Reading the letters again and again, we felt a deep joy. And when night fell and Artist Hill returned to its usual calm, we could still sense the rhythm of those days. We felt fortunate to have witnessed, to have participated, and to have been part of those beautiful connections. The Festival has ended, but the letters, messages, and memories continue to echo, reminding us that friendship and poetry do not end with the festival. They will grow, blossom, and spread over time, nurtured by hearts that know how to cherish, preserve, and continue sowing seeds.
Read: Mihai Eminescu: The Singer of Love
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Sherzod Artikov is an Uzbek writer, essayist, poet and translator. He graduated from Ferghana Polytechnic Institute of Uzbekistan in 2005. He was one of the winners of the International Award of Contemporary Author’s Fairy Tales held in North Macedonia in 2021. His stories have been translated into 30 languages of the world and published in websites, magazines and newspapers of about 60 countries. In 2020, the author’s books “Autumn Symphony”, “Beauty that did not save the world” and “Mona Lisa’s Smile” were published in 2022.
