House of Letters in Antwerp

Monday 26 March 2012

14.00 - 15.00 meeting with Michael Vandenbril and Bernard Dewulf

at House of Letters in Antwerp

http://www.letterenhuis.be/eCache/MDE/30/03/150.htm

Michael Vandenbril, Bernard Dewulf and Bas Kwakman

Michael Vandenbril explained the concept of the House of Letters for which he has been working already ten years. A key concept is the 'city poet' with the current one being Bernard Dewulf. Each poet is selected for a three year period and has a certain budget at his disposal to undertake certain actions. Famous became the city poem by Tom Lanoye who knew how to use the media and had a poem of his fixed to Boerentoren, the tallest building in Antwerpen. Others used different surfaces, including the tunnel going underneath the river leading to the harbour or like Joke Van Leeuwen placing his song on a silo in the channel zone.

Michael Vanderbril is director of the House of Letters and poet. Thanks to him Antwerp became Book Capital of the World. He organizes as well festivals

Bernard Dewulf explained that he would like to do something with people forgotten by the city since buried in a cemetery which lies outside the city. Hatto Fischer said this reminds of 'Spoon River Anthology' but also as to what the artist Herbert Distel did when making photographs of the cemetery in Genoa, Italy.

The city poet spoke also about his interactions with all kinds of people and organizations. In one specific case, he was invited by an entire group who wished no longer to be called a 'minority' nor which accepted the official term of 'cultural diversity'. He stated that he would not deal with political issues, but if language is involved, then yes, he would engage himself.

Bernard Dewulf
first noticed as poet in anthology Twist met ons (Argue with us) which is a manifesto of a new generation of poets, including Dirk van Basteleare, Charles Ducal and Erik Spinoy 
first collection of poems was published 1995 with the title Waar de egel gaat (where the hedgehodge walks) 
continued working as journalist and art and culture specialist: he was editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Nieuw Wereldtijdschrift (New World magazine)
Blauwziek (Blue sick, 2006)
De Eenzame Uitvaart (The Lonely Funeral) – a literary project in which poets write a personal poem for someone who has died lonely and read it out at their funeral 
Kleine Dagen (Small Days) – received the Libris Literature Prize 2010. Prose poems containing observerations of day-to-day family life

Philip Meersman

Points of discussion: 
- Philip Meersman explained his concept of the Slam Poetry Festival.
- How to further collaboration between various festivals with Medellin pivot point.
- How to promote poetry with linkage to issues like cultural diversity. 
- City poet to imagine a city anew e.g. city planning in Toronto.
- The future of World Poetry Movement over and beyond festivals as platform of exchange of information about poets, festivals, publications, translations etc.
- Reference to the Zebra Poetry Festival in Berlin was made.

After the meeting, the delegation met the former Poet of the City who had been at the poetry festival in Medellin, Colombia and thus rejoiced in seeing Fernando Rendon being present.

Bas Kwakman, Peter Holvoet Hanssen (former city poet), Philip Meersman, Mike Vandenbril

www.antwerpenboekenstad.be)

Kies zelf uw Out-Of-Office-gedicht van Joke van Leeuwen, Stijn Vranken of Ester Naomi Perquin: www.gedichtendag.com

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