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 Poet of the Month: June
Frisian and Danish poets present an anthology at LiteratureXchange in Aarhus
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.
Cornelis van der Wal to the international poetry festival Transpoesie
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.
Poet of the Month: May
The Poet of the Month May is Edwin de Groot
You can read the Frisian poems on RIXT and an English translation of one poem will be published here.
April 2021
Sigrid Kingma was the RIXT poet of the month February 2021. You can read her original Frisian poems of that month here. The translation of one of them – ‘Brass hats’ – is published here.
Brass hats He won’t hang up streamers for himself celebrates survivals with drawn blinds and closed doors sensitised friends saved pocket money at the bank for a new bicycle Spoiled brat that fights fumigation looks for soft words to lie with or confesses smirking that he forgot who buttered his bread only yesterday Still, crystal clear is the memory that it was treacle that spilled on the paperwork the sticky fingers licked clean in the echo of the whistle blow © Sigrid Kingma Translation: Trevor Scarse
Poet of the Month: April
The Poet of the Month April is Sigrid Kingma
You can read the Frisian poems on RIXT and an English translation of one poem will be published here.
March 2021
Tsjisse Hettema was the RIXT poet of the month February 2021. You can read his original Frisian poems of that month here. The translation of one of them – ‘the light and the wind’ – is published here.
the light and the wind dance around the house at the edge of the cliff something shifts from black to grey in me I too would like to dance there to keep me like a tearaway maybe in check the exuberance of colour the space of the house the stairs that lead up from my head the cliff holds everything surprisingly tight together it leashed me against its side which means I’m looking for the narrow path that slowly upwards pulls my head down © Tsjisse Hettema Translation: Trevor Scarse