‘Transpoesie’

No other continent has as many resident writers of foreign origin as Europe. Transpoesie celebrates the diversity of languages in Europe and this year the spotlight is on poets with a background in migration. The poets will be reading from their own work with a projected translation in French, Dutch and English. KLARA journalist Gudrun De Geyter presents the poets. 

With Faraj  Bayrakdar (Syria/Sweden), Lidija Dimkovska (Macedonia/Slovenia), Ricardo Domeneck (Brazil/Germany), Wioletta Greg (Poland/UK), Fiston Mwanza Mujila (DR Congo/Austria). 

Faraj Bayrakdar was imprisoned by the Syrian authorities in 1987 and was not freed until 14 years. He has won several awards for his poetry: the 1999 International PEN Award (American Center West, 1999), Free Word Award (2004),  the 2006 Oxfam Novib / PEN Freedom of Expression Award (the Netherlands, 2006) and the Tucholsky Prize (2007).

Lidija Dimkovska has published six collections of poetry and three novels. She has won several awards for best poetry debut and best prose book and won several prizes, amongst which the European Union Prize for Literature in 2013. This year she won the "Peter Krdu" European Prize for Poetry. 

Ricardo Domeneck is one of the most exciting voices in Brazilian poetry. He is a member of the new generation of poets who feel equally at home putting pen to paper as on stage. His poems have been translated into languages including German, English, Spanish, French, and Slovene.

Wioletta Grzegorzewska has published several volumes of poetry under the pseudonym Wioletta GREG. In 2017, Portobello Books will be publishing her novel Swallowing Mercury. Her work has been translated into English, Spanish, Catalan, French and Welsh.

Fiston Mwanza Mujila studied in Lumbashi, after which he obtained his doctorate in Graz, Austria. He combines his academic life with numerous literary activities.  The writer has won numerous literary awards, including from the city of Graz for his first novel, the eminently poetic and vibrant Tram 83.