The Poetry Debate

Poetry does not exist without opinions. Whether it's about the craft, the industry, the poets, or the enthusiasts; there’s something to be said about everything. In this program, we challenge our festival poets in a playful way to share their unnuanced opinions on unexpected poetry statements. After all, do all poets really think the same about writing, publishing, the finality of a poem, and the influence of online trends? Poet Ellen Deckwitz will be the moderator of this game. And the participants of the debate are none other than poet Tom Lanoye, Simon Armitage, Diana Anphimiadi and Yousra Benfquih.

Tom Lanoye

Tom Lanoye (born August 27, 1958, in Sint-Niklaas) grew up in a butcher’s family, where his mother, a celebrated amateur actress, and father ran a successful shop. His early life, marked by a love for theater and a sharp business sense, heavily influenced his writing. Lanoye’s autobiographical works, such as Een slagerszoon met een brilletje (1985), describe his upbringing, the death of his brother, and his difficult coming-out. 

In the 1980s, Lanoye studied at Ghent University, where he became part of the performance poetry scene. His first literary works were self-published, and in 1983, he debuted with Rozegeur en maneschijn, a collection of literary critiques. Quickly establishing himself, Lanoye worked across genres—prose, poetry, and theater. His early career saw him as a vocal presence in social and political debates, particularly around issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and nationalism. 

Lanoye’s works often engage with urgent political themes. Notable works include Het derde huwelijk (2006), Gelukkige slaven (2013), and Zuivering (2017). As a versatile performer and writer, he continued to craft radical adaptations of classic texts like Hamlet and King Lear. Recognized with several prestigious awards, Lanoye’s career spans multiple disciplines, solidifying him as one of the most influential figures in Flemish and Dutch literature. 

Simon Armitage

Simon Armitage is the current poet laureate of the United Kingdom (2019-2029). He is an author, translator, musician, playwright and Professor of Poetry at Leeds University.

After studying geography and social work, Armitage published his first poetry collection in 1989 and continued working as a probation officer.

Some of Armitage's collections include Magnetic Field: The Marsden Poems (2020), a collection of poems that are concerned with places in his hometown in West Yorkshire, and Blossomise (2023). He has translated classical verses, such as the medieval poems Pearl, for which he was awarded the PEN America Award for Poetry in Translation. His adaptations of Homer’s Odyssey and the Iliad were performed in London.  

He has received numerous prizes, including the Ivor Novello Award and a BAFTA for Feltham Sings in 2003, and the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 2018. 

Diana Anphimiadi

Diana Anphimiadi is a Georgian poet, linguist, teacher, and writer. She holds a master's degree in general linguistics from Ivane Javakhishvili State University, where she is currently pursuing her PhD. Anphimiadi has published four poetry collections. Her debut Chocolate (2008) won the Tsero Prize and the Saba Prize for best debut. Her poetry in English has been published in Beginning to Speak (2018) and Why I No Longer Write Poems (2022), which received the PEN Translates Award. 

Her poetry gives abstract thoughts a body and brings classical myths back to life using contemporary means. In addition to poetry, Anphimiadi has written two cookbooks and several children's books. Her work has been translated into several languages, including German, Russian, and Greek, and is featured in anthologies such as Je suis nombreuses (2021), a French anthology of work by female Georgian poets.

Yousra Benfquih  

Yousra Benfquih is a writer, poet, and spoken word artist. 

In 2017, she won the txt-on-stage competition Naft voor Woord and was selected for the writing residency of deBuren in Paris. Since then, Yousra has become a regular presence on Flemish stages, ranging from Bozar to De Roma, Arenberg to Theater aan Zee. Her written work can be found in publications such as Kluger Hans, DW B, De Poëziekrant, De Revisor, and De Gids. 

In 2019, she was shortlisted for the Joost Zwagerman Essay Prize. In 2021, she was selected for the Slow Writing Lab, the talent development program of the Dutch Foundation for Literature, and in 2022 for Vers van het Mes, the poetry program of deBuren and Perdu, and Eenzame Avonturen, a literary non-fiction program by deBuren and De Gids. In 2025, together with Alara Adilow, she will write letters about consent in a colonial world for the project “Ik wil, wil jij ook?” by Hard//Hoofd and deBuren. 

Yousra is part of the permanent author pool of Rekto:verso and teaches Spoken Word at LUCA School of Arts (Writing for Performance).