Three S.Korean poets invited to European Int'l Poetry Festival

The European International Poetry Festival "Europa in versi" will be held in Como, a lake city near Milan, Italy, from May 19 to 21.

Thirteen poets from eight countries, including South Korean poets Choi Dong-ho, Kim Gu-seul and Ko Doo-hyun, participate as invited writers at the festival, which is in its 13th year this year. One person each from Vietnam, Russia, the United States, Colombia, Hungary and Kosovo, and four from Italy, the host country, will participate.

For three days, they will have conversations about poetry with readers and recite poems at Como's Insubria University and the 17th-century historic site of Villa Gallia. Students will present videos, music, paintings and theater performances inspired by the works of guest poets.

There is also a reading walk program where you can share poems while strolling around historical buildings and parks. The works of invited poets are edited in their native language, English and Italian and published as books.

The European International Poetry Festival is an international exchange event for poets held in Como every spring. The festival's chairman and artistic director is poet Laura Garavaglia, founder and president of the House of Poetry of Como. Born in Milan in 1956, she is a journalist and laureate of the European Academy of Sciences, Arts and Literature.

She has participated in the Suwon International Poetry Festival in 2019 in Korea and last year received the 2022 Best Poet of the Year at the festival. Her poetry has been translated into several languages, including the Korean translation poetry collection "Living Things" (2022). 

“The theme of this year's festival is 'The Poetry Happiness,'” she said. “Thanks to the works and intercultural dialogues of poets not only from Europe but also from many countries around the world, readers will be able to think more deeply about the meaning of happiness and find a new inner joy,” she added.

Korean poet Choi Dongho was born in Suwon and served as the president of the Poets Association of Korea. In 1979, he made his debut with poetry and criticism through Modern Literature and JoongAng Ilbo Shinchun Literature, and received many awards such as the Manhae Literature and Art Award, the Jeong Ji-yong Literary Award and the Jenima Literary Award (USA). His works have been translated into many languages.

Poet Kim Kooseul was born in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, and is an English scholar who served as the president of the Korea TS Eliot Society. She is an emeritus professor at Hyeopseong University and serves as the chairman of the Changwon KC International Literary Award jury and the vice chairman of the organizing committee. She published her collections of poetry and "0 Degree of Love", and received the Hongje Literary Award and the Suwon Literary Award. Her poetry has been translated into English, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Romanian.

Poet Ko Doohyun was born in Namhae, South Gyeongsang Province and debuted in 1993 by winning the JoongAng Ilbo Spring Literary Contest. He received the Poetry and Poetics Young Poetry Award and the Kim Man-jung Literary Award.

Vietnamese poet Kieu Bich Hau graduated from the Department of English Education at the University of Hanoi, worked as a poet, novelist and editor, and published more than 20 books. Last year, she was awarded The ART Danubius Prize for her work in advancing cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Hungary.

Russian poet Julia Pikalova was born in Moscow and now lives in Como, Italy. She studied at St. Petersburg University (Bachelor of Arts) and California State University (Master of Business Administration). Her poems have been transformed into performance pieces and put on the stage several times.

William Wolak is a poet, photographer and collage artist who has published 18 volumes of poetry in US. He is a popular poet invited to many international poetry festivals.

Colombian poet Carlos Velasquez Torres studied music and literature at Colombia National University and received a master's degree in literature and cultural studies from the University of Washington in Seattle. He is also a professor at the City University of New York and Mount Saint Vincent University. 

Hungarian poet Attila Balazs is engaged in a wide range of international activities as a member of the Hungarian Writers Association, the Romanian Writers Association, the Hungarian Pen Club and the Slovak-Hungarian Writers Association. He is the author of over a dozen collections of poetry and a translator of over 20 volumes of poetry and novels.

Kosovo poet Jeton Kelmendi is a writer, translator, editor and university professor who has been dubbed "Europe's greatest poet" by international critics and poets. His poetry has been translated into over 37 languages ​​and has been published in several international literary anthologies.

Emilio Coco of Italy is a global writer who has published 12 collections of poetry in Spain and Latin America and 7 collections in Italy. His poems have been translated into 12 languages.

Giuseppe Bova is a former Civic Representative and Municipal Director for Culture, Demographic Services and Urban Planning in the Municipality of Reggio Calabria and Director of the Modern Municipal Theater.

Deborah Zingariello of Italy is a new-generation poet who is leading the convergence of video and literature by creating "Poetry in Video" with a famous director.

Laura Capra was born in Genoa, where she still resides, and she is a poet elected to the European Poetry Project, a creative program of the European Union.

Write to Eun-seo Koo at koo@hankyung.com