Taking the literary trends of our times into account, Ideogramma is once again setting a milestone by bringing together 10 international literature and poetry festivals from across Europe, Africa and Asia.
Invited festivals and their directors / authors:
- Barcelona Poesia Festival and Manuel Forcano, Spain
- Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Dubai, UAE
- Festival Europa in Versi, and Laura Cecilia Garavaglia, Como, Italy
- International Ars Poetry Festival and Martin Solotruk, Bratislava, Slovakia
- International Kistretch Poetry Festival and Christopher Okemwa, Kisii, Kenya
- Oslo International Poetry Festival, Oslo, Norway
- Page Break International Poetry Festival and Madara Gruntmane, Latvia
- Printemps de la Poésie and Narcisse, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Safi International Poetry Festival and Said Kobrite, Morocco
- Tinos International Literary Festival and Dinos Siotis, Greece
Cypriot organisations of international festivals and events
- Sardam Festival
- ‘Diavaseis’ Writers’ Group
- Parakentro Centre, Lemithou
- Room for Art
- Technodromio
- Vivliotropio
- Ideogramma
Two of the festivals will be represented by their directors: the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature by Marwa Melhem, and the Oslo Poetry festival by Birgit Hattlehol.
Additionally, three exceptional poets Maarten van der Graaff (the Netherlands) Sumaya Jirde Ali (Norway) and Ali AlMaazmi UAE) are also participating.
This cooperation will be an opportunity to promote the rich cultural and literary heritage of the different peoples, to present a literary variety of voices and styles and, above all to create new bridges of communication between authors, organisers and audiences.
For the 7th International Literature Poetry Festival, to the sea-girt shores of Cyprus: this cooperation means even bigger international exposure and reach, as well as wider access to new creative networks that will enrich the local cultural scene.
The participating festivals are important pillars in the international literary field, and their closer association with a literature and poetry festival in Cyprus, will offer organisers and participants alike many collaborative opportunities.
One example would be to promote new voices and cultures through new writing creations as a result of the special cultural character of our island, which incorporates both eastern and western influences, and is very attractive to writers looking for new and different elements to add to their work.
This cooperation is also an excellent opportunity for the festivals to join networks and other existing collaborations, exchange cultural influences, and embrace the many opportunities for the promotion of books and publishers.
Cyprus itself holds a unique geographical position, situated between East (Middle East), West (Europe) and South (North Africa), and with deep historical and cultural roots with all these areas. This distinction is very valuable to international festivals, in terms of content, but also of atmosphere and especially experience.
Contemporary literature in Cyprus tends to question the traditional boundaries of literary genres and forms. The festival can inspire the literary communities to experiment with new forms of writing, such as digital literature, interactive storytelling and multimedia works.
Because of all these opportunities, the festival and, by extension, Cyprus, will offer a multifaceted and creative environment for participants, making it an attractive destination for cultural collaborations.