Stichting Skrifi x Poetry International: Class Week Suriname
Suriname has produced excellent poets such as Michaël Slory, Johanna Schouten-Elsenhout and Robin ‘Dobru’ Raveles. Poetry offers a powerful means to draw attention to social issues, to enrich programs in terms of content and to promote both Dutch and Sranantongo. With the Class Week Suriname, Poetry International and Stichting Skrifi want to offer a stage, both in Suriname and the Netherlands, to a new generation of Surinamese poets.
Class Week Suriname
From March 24th to March 29th 2025, Stichting Skrifi and Poetry International organized a week of lessons with lectures, in-depth workshops and a closing presentation for Surinamese poets aged 18 to 40. During this week, there were discussions on the history of Surinamese poetry with, among others, Nederlandica Hilde Neus. Writer Jeffrey Quartier provided writing assignments and feedback, while Spoken Word performer Zulile Blinker offered pointers on performing your work. The participants were coached by Spoken Thoughts artist and coach Melanin Kris.
At the end of the week, after a performance on March 29th, the two patricipants Eline Marengo and Koloku were invited to perform at the Poetry International Festival in June 2025 in Rotterdam. A selection of their work was translated into English and, where necessary, into Dutch. In addition, the poets had the opportunity to explain their poetics in an interview and be introduced to Dutch literary professionals during the festival, such as poets, writers, translators, publishers, and editors.
Practical information:
When: 24th until 29th of March
Where: Paramaribo, Suriname
Times: Monday - Friday, 18:00 - 20:00 and Saturday, 19:30 - 21:00
The Poetry Week Suriname is made possible by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Suriname and Literatuur Vlaanderen.
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