Today on My Poetic Side we take a look at the year long celebrations for the poet Federico Garcia Lorca that are taking place in Madrid. We also have the bicentenary of Keats, and the winner of this years Cowboy Poet of the Year Award.

100^th Anniversary of Lorca

The government in Madrid is beginning a year long tribute to the life of the poet Federico Garcia Lorca in an initiative they are calling “Lorca Year”. The events will mark the 100^th anniversary of the arrival of the poet in 1919 in the Residencia de Estudiantes in the city.

Lorca was aged just 21 when he arrived in the city. The city was a new adventure for him and the Residencia became something of a haven, a place that he stayed with other students. It is from here that he began his training and then his career as a writer. It was here that he also met the likes of Salvador Dali, Pepin Bello and Luis Bunuel,

“Lorca Year” will be a fantastic cycle of event including concerts, exhibitions and theatre performances. There will also be an international conference about Lorca.

The first item on what is sure to be a packed literary calendar will be the “Comedia SinTitulo”, which is an unfinished play by Lorca. The play will run from 17^th January to 24^th February.

Bicentenary of Keats

Chichester is marking the bicentenary of the poet John Keats. They are planning a day of special events which will take place on Saturday 19^th January.

Whilst Keats was living in Chichester he made a visit to the cathedral, and his visit was so inspiring to him that the medieval architecture and the atmosphere he encountered there became the inspiration for one of most famous poems. A romantic tale of love and fighting, following the tradition of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the poem that Chichester inspired is The Eve of St Agnes.

There will be a reading of the poem, together with a series of talks. The events are being run by the University of Chichester in conjunction with the South Downs Poetry Festival.

Cowboy Poet of the Year

Terry Nash, the Western Slope Cowboy poet, has been named as this year’s male Poet of the Year. The award is given by the International Western Music Association (IWMA).

“A Good Ride”, Nash’s CD was also named as the Cowboy Poetry CD of 2018. For over 25 year Nash has been writing his own original poems and also reciting classic cowboy poems as well. He firmly believes that it is the role of the cowboy poet to keep the heritage of the Western alive – not just for today but also for the future. This is, he believes, a genre of music and poetry that speaks of a heritage and shouldn’t be forgotten.

The award ceremony will be held on 10^th November as a part of the IWMA 2018 Awards of Excellence. This will take place in New Mexico.