On Saturday, 9 September, Ventspils will host Kurzeme Poetry Days, which will bring together poets from all over Kurzeme. 2023. Kurzeme Poetry Days will take place for the 25th time in 2023. In honour of the 90th anniversary of Imants Ziedonis, the theme of the Kurzeme Poetry Days in Ventspils will be The Spirit.
Poetry Day events will be diverse and will take place in libraries, museums and the Science Centre VIZIUM. Kurzeme Poetry Days will start at 11.00 with the event “The Spirit” at Pārventa Library. First, the exhibition “Plenērs flokšos” will be opened, featuring works by participants of the Pope. Manor Plein Air Workshop – Daiga Krūze, Kristīna Keire, Ieva Rupenheite and Jānis Kupčs. This will be followed by a discussion on creativity, moderated by Dace Vašuka, and poetry readings by Ieva Rupenheite. Maija Kalniņa will provide a musical treat, performing songs by the father of Kurzeme Poetry Days, Olafs Gūtmanis, and her own poetry.
At 13.30 in the new Gāliņciems Library, poet and former head of the Gāliņciems Library Iveta Dārzniece-Tarvida will read her poetry to children. Laura Vinogradova will read her poetry in the language of the local people at the Herberts Dorbe Museum nearby at 14.30.
Andris Akmentiņš will participate in the Kurzeme Poetry Days with a poetry reading at the Castle at 16.00, and at the end of the Poetry Days at 17.00 Jānis Vādons will read his poetry at the Science Centre VIZIUM, and there will be a chance to experience readings by Kurzeme poets on the roof.
Entrance to all events is free.
On the occasion of the Kurzeme Poetry Days, young people will be invited to participate in the #VentspilsBrivosta_atbalsta_dzeju video competition by creating and posting a video on the topic “Poetry and me” on TikTok, Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #VentspilsBrivosta_atbalsta_dzeju. The competition will be announced on 4 September on Ventspils Library’s social media accounts. The competition is financially supported by the Freeport of Ventspils Authority. The video with the most likes will win a cash prize.
Kurzeme Poetry Days is an annual, traditional event that takes place in one of the cities of Kurzeme. Poetry Days bring together poets from Ventspils, Liepāja, Tukums, Saldus, Kuldīga and Talsi.
Kurzeme Poetry Days 2023 are organised by the Ventspils Library in cooperation with the Ventspils Museum, the International Writers’ and Translators’ House and the association “Siets”.
The event is supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation, Kurzeme Planning Region, Historical Latvian Lands, Freeport of Ventspils Authority, Viesturs Tīle, SIA “Bucher Municipal”, SIA “ARB Pope”, SIA “Jāņlejas”, SIA “Molits”, Pope shop “Citro” and PSIA “Ventspils Reiss”.
