Frysk dichterskollektyf
Rein de Lange was the RIXT poet of the month June 2021. You can read his original Frisian poems of that month here. The translation of one of them – ‘Doppler effect’ – is published here.
Doppler effect she can barely hear this voices so sluggish devices behind her ears thin hair forms net curtains a still-life with geraniums nothing stays the same just listen: high tones are already coming, the low take all the old sounds away © Rein de Lange Translation: Trevor Scarse
This summer, RIXT will stay at the Writer’s Ark near the village of De Feanhoop. This is the second time the Ark was made available to RIXT by the FLMD. From 24 to 30 July poets of the RIXT collective will be able to work on poetry together along with poets Sigrid Kingma and Arjan Hut and singer Bruno Rummler. The purpose of the week is to work on a poem, translation or song lyric for a performance later this year.
The poets of RIXT who are participating, are: DerGjitr, Anne Heegstra, Ypie Bakker, Janna van der Meer, Tsjisse Hettema and Carla van der Zwaag. They will present the results of these meetings at a poetry evening that RIXT will organize in the autumn. Hut, Kingma and Rummler will perform there as well.
Last year, we stayed at the Writer’s Ark as well, where a group of RIXT poets wrote a ‘relay poem’. That week was called ‘The Line of Rink’ as a line from the works of the poet Rink van der Velde was used as the starting line of the relay poem. The first stanza was written by then Poet of the Month Cornelis van der Wal and on each subsequent day a new stanza was added, written in pairs. You can find a report of the week in photographs here. The relay poem ‘The Storm’ can be read here.
The Poet of the Month July is André Looijenga.
You can read the Frisian poems over on our Frisian site and an English translation of one poem will be published here.
Edwin de Groot was the RIXT poet of the month May 2021. You can read his original Frisian poems of that month here. The translation of one of them – ‘Tariff and exchange rate’ – is published here.
Tariff and exchange rate i. cholera, messenger of misery struck one down when so fated even a child that bit the dust there’s always some sin to be found a new foundation can simply break as it sets and now we’re due for the collection ii. each covid month just as cruel today’s shepherd on slippery shoes says it’s safer than eating hot dogs a jab is child’s play, wards off ruin sprightly and elated once more on a school trip bringing tasty sandwiches with young cheese and confession © Edwin de Groot Translation: Trevor Scarse
The Poet of the Month June is Rein de Lange
You can read the Frisian poems on RIXT and an English translation of one poem will be published here.
The Frisian poets Cornelis van der Wal, Elmar Kuiper, Syds Wiersma and Geart Tigchelaar will present in collaboration with the Danish poets Peter Laugesen, Carsten René Nielsen, Annemette Kure Andersen, Thomas Dalgaard and Mads Mygind their bilingual anthology Oar hûs / Et andet hus (Another house) at the international literature festival LiteratureXchange in Aarhus. The anthology is published by Hispel.
In 2019 the four Frisian poets went to Aarhus for a week to meet up with their Danish colleagues and perform a show. This led to a collaboration with the five Danish poets. They translated each other’s work for the anthology, four poems for each poet. The project is illustrated with photographs made by Geart Tigchelaar.
‘Another house can feel like coming home in another place,’ so states the foreword of the collection. And that was precisely how the Frisian poets felt in the second largest city of Denmark. And to honour that other house poetically they’ve made this anthology.
In June the third edition of the literature festival LiteratureXchange will be held in Aarhus. The festival will last for eleven days with many international writers who will give more than 180 performances, masterclasses, readings, etc. The presentation of the anthology Oar hûs / Et andet hus is held on 16 June.
In September the eleventh edition of the Transpoesie Poetry Festival will be held in Brussel. Cornelis van der Wal will represent Fryslân this year, following in the footsteps of Janneke Spoelstra (2018), Elmar Kuiper (2019) and Nyk de Vries (2020). Cornelis van der Wal shall give a performance on 26 September, the European Day of Languages.
A jury consisting of Alex Riemersma (advisor language policy at Provinsje Fryslân and lector at NHL Stenden), Janneke Spoelstra (Fryske Akademy) and Ammerins Moss-de Boer (it Skriuwersboun) selected the poem of Cornelis van der Wal, ‘Snow is an act of resistance’, out of the six entries. His submission was characterised by the jury as a melodic poem that expressed the theme in a topical and expressive manner. It describes the loneliness, coldness yet necessity of resistance and protest with words that provoke all your senses and reveal new ideas to ponder about every time you read it.
Cornelis van der Wal (Ljouwert, 28 Januari 1956) is a Frisian writer and poet. Hy has published seven poetry collections. He won the Fedde Schurerprize with his first collection In nêst jonge magneten in 1993. In 2019 six of his poems were translated and published in the renowned Danish magazine Hvedekorn.