US poet laureate Ada Limón opening the festival. All photos by Leonard Stenberg.
On Wednesday December 6th 20TAL arranged the Stockholm International Poetry Festival for the 26th time! This year, the festival took place at the Scala Theatre in Stockholm. The evening was photographed by Leonard Stenberg.
The theme was inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem »Tell all the truth but tell it slant«. Poetry skews, queers and plays with language, and this evening we celebrated the winding road and mode of resistance that is the soul of poetry. A poem contains experiences not only in what is said but in the way it is said. Perhaps this explains why poetry has become a very important refuge and sharp critical tool for people who exists outside of norms. This evening, almost 400 people joined us in this celebration!
The audience were seated and the show opened with a musical number by artist Storm Dunder. Madeleine Grive, the founder and artistic director of the festival, then welcomed the audience and the participants with a speech on stage. Grive introduced Ada Limón, the current US poet laureate, who opened the festival with a soulful reading from her poetry collection The Carrying.
Musician Storm Dunder performing at the festival.
Storm Dunder.
Ada Limón reading from The Carrying.
The evening continued with an emotionally charged reading by Palestinian poet Somaya El Sousi, together with poet and translator Jenny Tunedal. Following this, Madeleine Grive awarded this years Mare Kandre Award to author Judith Kiros, to thunderous applause.
Somaya El Sousi reading with Jenny Tunedal.
Somaya El Sousi and Jenny Tunedal on stage.
Judith Kiros is awarded the Mare Kandre Prize by Madeleine Grive.
Judith Kiros reading after receiving the Mare Kandre Prize.
The lobby during the intermission.
Visitors in the lobby during the intermission.
After the intermission, the evening continued with a reading by poet and queer country musician Julian Talamantez Brolaski. They read from their magical chap poetry book Sky Hammer, which was recently translated into Swedish and published in 20TAL magazine. Following this, dance Nino Josef performed a sensuous performance dance act in stage. Poet Ida Börjel read from her celebrated collections Ma and The Care Labyrinth. Following this, Iryna Shuvalova, poet and researcher from Ukraine, took to the stage to read poems from the »alisa cycle«. The second act of the evening concluded with a Swedish interpretation of the song Malvor, written by famous Ukrainian author Serhiy Zhadan, performed by Swedish-Ukrainian translator and singer Eugene Wolynsky (with Olov Hamilton on guitar).
Poet and musician Julian Talamantez Brolaski opening the second part of the evening.
Dancer and performer Nino Josef on stage.
Ida Börjel reading from The Care Labyrinth and Ma.
Ida Börjel.
Julian Talamantez Brolaski.
Iryna Shuvalova reading on stage
Iryna Shuvalova.
Eugene Wolynsky and Olov Hamilton.
The third and final part of the evening started with a music performance with Julian Talamantez Brolaski. Thay played songs from their queer country album It’s Okay Honey, together with Swedish musicians Johan Borgh, Filip Magnusson, David Henriksson, Martin Axelsson and Kaj Otaki. This was followed by a reading from the upcoming book by Swedish poet David Zimmerman, with the working title Ark.
The final international poet of the evening was Radna Fabias, from Curaçao but now living in the Netherlands. She read from her celebrated poetry collection Habitus, together with actor Joel Valois who read Per Holmer’s Swedish translations. The evening concluded with lyrical poetry written be Swedish artist and actor Silvana Imam, from her Hamlet suite that was published in the magazine 20TAL (issue 9, »New queer poetry«).
The evening then continued in the lobby of the Scala Theatre, with a performance by queer performance artist and drag queen Jafar the Superstar!
Julian Talamantez Brolaski and band.
David Zimmerman reading from Ark.
David Zimmerman.
Radna Fabias and Joel Valois reading from Habitus.
Radna Fabias and Joel Valois reading from Habitus.
Radna Fabias and Joel Valois.
Silvana Imam reading from her Hamlet suite.
Silvana Imam.
Jafar the Superstar performing at the afterparty.
Jafar the Superstar.