During one of the most significant book fairs globally, the Frankfurt Book Fair, poet Radmila Petrović participated in the presentation of the poetry collection “Poets of Today, Voices of Tomorrow.” This collection is the result of work on the international project of the same name, conducted in Serbia by Hartefact. It comprises poetry anthologies from five European poets and poetesses in seven languages, including poetry by Radmila Petrović.
As part of the book promotion, poetic performances were organized at the Frankfurt Book Fair and at the Frankfurt International Theater. The performances featured poets Radmila Petrović, Veronika Dintijana from Slovenia, Małgożata Lebda from Poland, as well as poets Hari Hertel from Finland and Marton Simon from Hungary.
The performance, held in front of a large audience at the Frankfurt International Theater, was directed by Staša Prah and was based on the direct engagement of poets with the audience.
Radmila Petrović emphasized the significance of the anthology, stating that high school students will have the opportunity to acquaint themselves with poems created by international contemporary poets, which they cannot encounter in textbooks.
“I am honored to be part of this international poetic collective, where each member differs in writing style and approach to poetry performance. I am looking forward to the final phase of the project, visiting high schools, and interacting with students who will be surprised to learn that there are living poets writing about topics that are close and interesting to them. The growing motivation of teachers involved in the project to read contemporary poetry and conduct creative writing exercises with students indicates that the project is already effective,” concluded poet Radmila Petrović upon her return from the Frankfurt Book Fair.
The “Poets of Today, Voices of Tomorrow” project will continue in November when Hartefact organizes poetry visits to elementary and high schools in Serbia, aiming to revitalize contemporary poetry and young poets, as well as to integrate their poetry into the educational system through curricula and workshops with students.
Apart from Hartefact, the project is led by ARTeria from Poland, Pro Progressione from Hungary, the Association of Finnish Cultural Centers for Children, and Pionirski dom from Ljubljana as the coordinator. The “Poets of Today, Voices of Tomorrow” project will run until 2025 and is supported by the European Union through the Creative Europe program.