Making Literature Travel

Literature Across Frontiers is co-operating once again on a programme of international events at the Prague Book Fair. This year Slovakia is the guest of honour and poetry is a focus. We have several events that debate the role of poetry in today’s world as well as performances that take poetry off the page. The programme is organised in cooperation with Svet knihy – Book World Prague and the Centre for Information on Literature, Slovakia.

Events Programme

 Zoë Skoulding, Alan Holmes and Ryan van Winkle

Tuesday 14th May, 8.00 pm (Pre-book fair event)
Divus (south wing), Bubenská 1, Prague 735

Literature Across Frontiers introduces two poets from the United Kingdom who are known for their innovative approach to performing poetry using multimedia, new technologies and theatrical arrangements. Zoë Skoulding performs poetry with sound installations and photography, in collaboration with Alan Holmes. (For this event recordings in Czech will be used). Ryan van Winkle, an American who lives in Edinburgh, transforms poetry into theatre using video clips, podcasts and other ways of connecting with audiences.

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Poetry festivals – a modern-day phenomenon

Thursday 16th May
2.00 pm – 3.50 pm
Authors’ Room – Left Wing

In this discussion organizers from Scotland, Norway, Germany, Wales, Slovakia and the Czech Republic share their experiences of poetry festivals. With Birgit Hatlehol (Oslo Poetry Festival, Norway), Bernie Higgins (Poetry Day, Czech Republic), Christiane Lange (LiteraturWerkstatt Berlin, ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival, Germany), Robyn Marsack (Scottish Poetry Library, United Kingdom), Zoë Skoulding (Poetry Wales, North Wales International Poetry Festival, United Kingdom) and Miroslava Vallová (Slovakia). Moderated by David Vaughan (radio presenter).

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Taking poetry to the market

Thursday 16th May
5.00 pm – 6.30 pm
Literary Theatre  – Right Wing

Is poetry a business? What do publishers and the poets themselves think? This international discussion will provide some answers to these questions. With Artur Burszta (Biuro Literackie, Poland), Michael Krüger (Carl Hanser Verlag, Germany), Martin Stöhr (Host, Czech Republic), Peter Šulej (Drewo a srd, Slovakia), and Werner Lambersy (poet, Belgium), moderated by Robyn Marsack (Scottish Poetry Library, United Kingdom)

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Ryan van Winkle

Friday 17th May
6.00 pm – 6.30 pm
Poetry Room – Right Wing

Ryan van Winkle, an American who lives in Edinburgh, is known for his innovative approach to performing poetry using multimedia, new technologies and theatrical arrangements. He transforms poetry into theatre using video clips, podcasts and other ways of connecting with the audience.

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Alexandra Büchler and Ryan van Winkle

Saturday 18th May
2.00 pm – 3.50 pm
Laterna Poetica – Right Wing

Alexandra Büchler introduces Europe’s online review of international writing – Transcript – and video clips from Literature Across Frontiers poetry projects. Ryan van Winkle introduces projects that present poetry digitally, including the Reel Iraq and Reel Syria festivals and ryanvanwinkle.com, his own website.

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Travelling with literature – the Tramlines Project and Gimbal app

Sunday 19th May
11.00 am –11.50 am
Small Hall  – Right Wing (Left Balcony)

Eight cities, eight authors, numerous tram lines and one application for smart phones. Literature Across Frontiers and our Czech partner FRA present the Tramlines Project and its outcomes published in the form of an iPhone app: Gimbal. Czech author and Tramlines participant Jana Šrámková speaks to  Alexandra Büchler about her residency in Istanbul and reads from the story she wrote about the city. Moderated by Petr Borkovec.