Berlin is hosting the 25th edition of Europe’s largest poetry festival, a vibrant celebration of the spoken word and its power to bridge cultural divides. The annual event, which began in 2000, is dedicated to highlighting under-represented voices and fostering a more inclusive artistic landscape. This year, the festival features over 150 artists from around the world, their works presented in a variety of settings across the city, from an audio installation next to a club to an outdoor courtyard.
One of the festival’s central themes is the exploration of language and identity. Mireia Casanyes and Carla Marco from Spain, who performed their work in Catalan, emphasized the significance of this endangered language. “Poetry does express this feeling of being in a language that is not a hegemonic language, a language that is not part of the main European, cultural, historical thinking, but Catalan does have a huge importance,” Casanyes explained.
Another performer, Mel Manuel Irmey, addressed the impact of gendered language on perception and identity. Manuel, reflecting on the German language’s gendered nouns, believes it forces individuals to think in binary terms. “It’s just so weird because we learn languages in school, but actually, I never learned to talk about myself,” they shared.
The diversity of the artists is reflected in the subjects they tackle. An American artist discusses homophobia in the US, while Ukrainian poets share their work on the war’s impact on their homeland. The festival’s organizers believe poetry provides a powerful means of emotional connection, transcending language barriers to reach a wider European audience. “Poetry is not only about the specific words, it’s a universal language, and through this, we try to expand not only the spoken word but the images, the rhythm, the effects, the feelings,” said Marco.
The festival offers a rich experience, featuring training for poetry educators, workshops for children, and a panel on socio-political issues. Inside a circus tent, performers blend movement with spoken word, showcasing the diverse ways in which poetry can be expressed. Through this celebration of language, the festival aims to inspire dialogue and understanding, reminding us that poetry’s power lies in its ability to connect us all on a human level.
