Worldwide read for pandemic losses

The International Literature Festival Berlin has been organising an annual international Worldwide read for a few years. This year, the reading has reached Cyprus too and is intended to commemorate those who died during the pandemic.

An event is coming up on Sunday at Goethe-Institut inviting poets and writers to share their work, commemorating those lost during the pandemic.

“For more than a year,” say the organisers, “the world has been in the grip of the pandemic… Many people die alone, behind closed doors, and are buried in small circles. In many cases, there is no way for relatives and friends to say goodbye – and if they do, it is at a distance or in a digital setting.

“Literature has the potential to give expression to this situation,” they add, “to counter isolation at least through reception. It finds narratives away from the everyday images of horror, tells of loss from different perspectives, and helps to make the incomprehensible tangible, the intangible comprehensible.”

Twelve poets and writers have been invited to take part in Cyprus’ reading event: Nora Nadjarian, Alexandros Chronides, Eleni Artemiou-Photiadou, Erato Ioannou, Manuella Mavromichalis, Paula Savvides, Neshe Yashin, Annetta Benzar, Ruta Dzikaraite, Alev Adil, Michael-Angelos Englezos and Lisa Suhair-Majaj will either perform physically at the event or with a video-poem as guests join them at the garden of the Goethe-Institut Cyprus in memory of the losses of the pandemic.

Worldwide Reading

12 poets and writers recite their work in a worldwide reading event in memory of those who died during the pandemic. September 5. Goethe-Institut Cyprus, Nicosia. 8pm. Free. Registration is necessary. Tel:  22674606. Email: [email protected]