Today in our news round up we look at Amanda Gorman’s new poem, the chance to stay overnight in a poet’s bedroom and the celebrations of the life of Nizami Ganjavi.
“New Days Lyrics” – Amanda Gorman Releases New Poem
The poet Amanda Gorman, who rose to fame this time last year when she was appointed to create a read a poem at the inauguration of President Joe Biden, has released a new poem to coincide with the end of 2021.
The aim of the poem “New Days Lyrics” is to help uplift the spirits of people as we still continue to face the restrictions of the pandemic. The poem not only celebrates the new year, but also honours the humanity and hurt that was endured during the last one. To mark the release of the poem, Gorman released a video on Instagram which showed her reciting the poem in an empty theatre.
Gorman has said that she is “Paying her words forward” and is hoping to raise funds for the International Rescue Committee – an organisation who assist those individuals who have been struct by humanitarian crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
Before the release of the poem Gorman gave an interview in Vanity Fair in which she said the poem was inspired by the stories of perseverance and grief that she had seen on social media which is why she also chose that particular platform to release the poem.
In December Gorman who served as the first national youth poet laureate from 2017 released “All Us What We Carry” her first poetry collection which spent tow weeks in the New York Times Best Sellers list.
Guests Offered Chance to Spend Night in William Wordsworth’s Room
Visitors to Rydal Mount near Ambleside in the Lake District will shortly be offered a unique opportunity. It will soon be possible to book an overnight stay in the home where William Wordsworth, one of the most famous of the Romantic poets lived. In fact the room that is being offered for stays is the bedroom that the poet himself used.
Called the Rydal Experience this venture is a joint project from Rydal Lodge Bed and Breakfast and Rydal Mount and the scheme was conceived by the great great great great grandson of the poet, Christopher Wordsworth Andrew
The plans are still in their final stages, but it is hoped that bookings will be made available very soon.
Nizami Ganjavi Honoured by Pakistan and Kazakhstan
The Azerbaijani thinker and poet Nizami Ganjavi has been honoured in a joint ceremony organised by TURKSOY (the International Organisation of Turkic Culture) and the Library of the First President of Kazakhstan.
The event coincided with the 88th anniversary of the poet”s birth and was used as an introduction to an exhibition about the poet and also the release of the book “Reading Nizami Ganjavi”. The book is an art album and also includes copies of over 100 paintings that were inspired by the writers poems.
The album has been released in English so that it can reach more people all over the world and introduce them to the work of the poet.
There was also an event which took place in Pakistan dedicated to the poet. The event took the form of a seminar titled “Nizami Ganjavi: A Revolutionary, Visionary Poet and Philosopher.”
2021 was declared as the year of Nizami by the president of Azerbaijan.
Comments2
One major detail was overlooked that Nizami Ganjavi who was honored by the now country of Azerbaijan is in fact a Persian poet whose literary and written language was Persian (not Turkic) there was no separate country of Azerbaijan at that time: March 12 is the official day of Nizami Ganjavi in Iran every year-although this poet is revered everywhere TURKSOY is committing cultural appropriation
And Nizami Ganjavi is not an “Azarbaijani Poet” as mistakenly referenced by the writer of the post Ms Joanne Jeffries-there was no official border named Azerbaijan and Nizami is recognized as a major figure in Persian Literature which was not depicted in this post
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