Transpoesie - News

• 11/03/2021

Calling all Poets and Creatives in the (k)now!”

The TRANSPOESIE Open Call is now accepting submission for the 2021 festival edition. This year’s theme is To be in the (k)now – poetry as a means of social expression.

Launched in 2011, TRANSPOESIE is an annual poetry festival organised by EUNIC Brussels (the local network of European Union National Institutes for Culture) and its partners.

The festival celebrates multilingualism by bringing poetry in as many languages as possible to Brussels. It marks the annual European Day of Languages and Linguistic Diversity on 26 September by organising a series of events in September and October.

Following the year in social isolation, the general shape and form of the 11th edition of the TRANSPOESIE will stretch beyond the passenger seat and into:

• A blend of our traditional reading events and debates/experimental events;
• Hybrid events – events taking place online and onsite!

And additionally, we will place poetry in the public sphere by sharing poetry by original and contemporary poets in public transport and city parks, as well as online on the Transpoesie website. Both the website and the printed materials will contribute to raising awareness of the diversity of languages by providing a visible platform for their poetic expression.

To be in the (k)now – poetry as a means of social expression explores poetry in the contemporary and post-pandemic present, sharing words from around the world in the heart of Europe.

Submission details:

WHAT DO WE OFFER?

1. Publishing poems in their original languages, as well as translations, on our website.
2. Displaying poems in their original languages and two translations (French and Dutch) in public spaces in Brussels.
3. Highlighting the poems in the TRANSPOESIE brochure and other printed materials.
4. The possibility of inviting the poet to one of the poetry events organized in Brussels.
5. Networking and new collaboration opportunities for poets/translators/cultural operators.

Previous partners and venues include: Brussels International House of Literature Passa Porta, Center for Fine Arts BOZAR, City of Brussels, the Representation of the European Commission in Belgium, European Commission DG EAC, Galerie Anspach, Loterie Nationale, STIB/MIVB, MuntPunt, La Maison du Livre, Le Cercle des Voyageurs, etc.

 

WHAT DO WE EXPECT?

• If you participate with a poem, in addition to the participation fee, you are expected to cover the costs of translation and copyright fees.
• If you wish to have a poet participating at an event, you are expected to cover the costs and to organize their coming to Brussels (e.g. travel & accommodation fees) in addition to the translations of the poems to be performed & copyright fees.
• The poet should be selected in collaboration with professional literary institutions from your country/region.
• The translations should be made by literary translators with experience in translating poetry.
• Communication about Transpoesie and the events through all your channels of communication during September and October.

 

HOW TO PARTICIPATE?

There are two types of participation:

1. With a poem published on our website and displayed in the public spaces in Brussels in its original language and two translations (French and Dutch)
2. With a poem and a poet attending one of the reading events organised in Brussels in September and October.

Note: Poems for public display must be limited to a maximum of 8 lines, to leave space for the translations. These 8 lines can of course be an extract from a longer poem, the full version of which will be included on the website.

The participation fee is 300 euros per poem.

 

HOW TO APPLY?

• Deadline for notification of participation: 19 April 2021.

Please confirm your interest by sending an email with your contact info to info@transpoesie.eu. Please also indicate whether you intend to invite a poet to Brussels.

After receiving your notification, the Transpoesie Team will contact you with more information.

• Deadline for sending us the name of the poet, bio, photo, video and the poem together with the translations: 17 May 2021.

By 17 May, we expect to receive from you the poem, the name of the poet, a short biography (in EN, FR, NL), and the translations of the poem in French and Dutch. You will receive further guidance on the submission of this material after 19 April, once we have received a clear indication of participation.

• Deadline for sending us the poems to be read at one of the events and their translation: 30 June 2021.

NB: This deadline is only applicable if your poet participates in one of the events.

By 30 June, we expect to receive from you the poems that are to be performed at the event in September or October and their translations into French and Dutch. The poets should read about 8 min (~700 words).