Poetry Press Conference

What if the world were interpreted through the voices of poets? At Poetry International, we invite you to the Poetry Press Conference, a daily program where Dutch and international poets engage in conversation about the pressing issues of our time. How is the world doing? And where are we headed? 

From climate and conflict to hope and transformation – these unique press conferences provide answers not in numbers and analyses, but through the power of poetry. Whether you're a journalist, a poetry enthusiast, or simply curious: come listen, ask your questions, and experience how poetry makes sense of the world. Live at Poetry International, every festival day.

Participating festival poets on this day are Tom Lanoye, Nadia Mifsud and Jean D'Amérique.

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. 

Nadia Mifsud 

Nadia Mifsud is a Maltese poet, author, translator, and teacher based in France.  In 2022, she was also named Malta’s third Poet Laureate.

She has published three books of poetry and one chapbook. Her second publication, Kantuniera ’l bogħod (2015), examines feminist themes such as woman- and motherhood, as well as living abroad as a Maltese. She was awarded the National Book Prize: Poetry in 2016, and again in 2022 for Varjazzjonijiet tas-Skiet (2021). She has published a novel, Ir-rota daret dawra (kważi) sħiħa (2017), and a collection of short stories, Żifna f’xifer irdum (2021). 

She is a member of the cultural NGO Inizjamed, and was an organiser of the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival. Mifsud has translated Immanuel Mifsud’s novel Fl-Isem tal-Missier (u tal-Iben) (French: Je t’ai vu pleur). Her own work has been translated into English, Croatian, Polish, German, and Malayalam.

Jean D’Amérique

Jean D’Amérique is a Haitian-born, Paris-based poet, playwright, rapper and novelist.

Already with his first poetry collection Petite fleur du ghetto (2015) he caught the attention of the literary world, receiving a special mention from the Prix René Philoctète de la poésie and the Prix Révélation Poésie by the Société des Gens de Lettres. D’Amérique continued this success with his second publication No Way in The Skin Without this Bloody Embrace (2017), winning the Prix de Poésie de la Vocation. After collaborating with the collective Loque Urbaine in setting up the Transe Poétique international festival based in Port-au-Prince in 2019, he published his first novel Soleil à coudre (2021; A Sun to Be Sewn, 2023) for which is he was awarded the Prix Montluc Résistance et Liberté.

Not afraid to look away from the violence of reality, Jean D’Amérique experiments with new poetic forms and a range of media. He explores political violence and the lives of the marginalized. His intense style is bathed in violence, with the poet himself describing his poetry as created in the red puddle, while also aiming to heal wounds and exorcise pain through his poetry.

D’Amérique is also a playwright, having received the Jacques Scherer Prize for Theater for his play Opéra poussière (2022). He contributes to several literary magazines, leads writing workshops and released his first rap album Mélancolie Gang in 2023.