This week’s poetry news round up looks at a promise to rebuild a statue of a poet, Rydal Mount’s poet in residence and the death of Kiril Kadiiski.
Statue to Uzbek Poet to be Rebuilt
A monument to the 15th century Uzbek poet Alisher Navoi, widely acknowledged as the founder of Uzbek literature, was recently destroyed by the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan. Now, just days later, the authorities have promised to rebuild it.
The move to destroy the statue was justified under Shari’a law, which states that statues and images of human beings are banned. However, there was a huge outcry from the residents of Mazar-e Sharif where the statue was located. A public event was held by officials at which they pledged to rebuild the statue in what was seen as a huge U-turn. They stated that they had initially decided to remove the monument because its location had been an unsuitable one. In addition to rebuilding the monument, they also stated they would improve the area around it and even name the location in honour of the poet.
Navoi is also considered to be a very important figure in Chagatia cultural heritage, a heritage shared by a significant number of the Turkic-speaking people of Eurasia.
Poetry Reading at Rydal Mount
The poet in residence at Rydal Mount, the former home of the poet William Wordsworth, will be hosting a poetry reading next week.
Inspired by the poems of Wordsworth, Kieran Winn, who spent many holidays visiting the area, and now spends much of his time in nearby Penrith, said that he has been greatly inspired by the works of the poet which have helped shape his own writing.
The poems for the reading will be taken from his new book and will be read in the drawing room where Wordsworth spent much of his time writing his own verses.
Kiril Kadiiski, Renowned Poet Dies Aged 78
The renowned poet, essayist, and translator Kiril Kadiiski has died. The Bulgarian’s death was announced by his publishing house. His passing marks a sad day for the literary world in Bulgaria.
Born in 1947, the Kadiiski was the author or a number of essays and poetry collections. His lectures on translation and poetry theory were also published. And his most recent works included a collection of sonnets and an anthology of French poetry
As a translator Kadiiski was highly regarded, translating the works of French poets like Paul Verlaine, Charles Baudelaire, Victor Hugo and Guillaume Apollinaire into his native Bulgarian. He also translated many works by Russian literary giants into Bulgarian as well including Boris Pasternak and Mikhail Lermontov.
His own poetry was well received all over the world and published in Spain, France, Italy, and Romania to name just a few countries. He received countless awards for his contribution to literature from countries all over the world a Max Jacob Prize for lifetime achievements.
Kadiiski was made a knight of the French Order of Arts and Letters, as well as a corresponding member of the French Academy of Poetry “Mallarmé,” and finally an honorary citizen of the “Montmartre Republic.”
You must register to comment. Log in or Register.