First International Poetry Festival in Naoussa

By Ashraf Aboul-Yazid
President, Asia Journalists Association

NAOUSSA: Under the auspices of the Municipality of the Heroic City of Naoussa and organized by the “Association of the Conservatory of Naoussa” together with the “Movement for Arts and Poetry” will be held the 1st International Poetry Festival of Naoussa on September 2- 4, 2022 in the open air theater “Melina Mercouri”.

The program of the first international poetry festival entitled “Aristotle and the World” features a parade with the flags of all participating countries through the town at the opening event, both the cultural presentation, especially of poetry, with recitations and melodic poetry with musical embellishments, as well as poetry and theater workshops for the presentation of poems, which will be given on the last day of the events, together with the awards!

The festival will be accompanied by a translation workshop with the participating poets and speeches from renouned translators and a book exhibition in Naoussa’s city park. Visits to the archaeological sights of Naoussa include the ancient theater of Mieza, Nymphaion, the Aristotle School, the Macedonian Tombs and the first Ski Resort of Greece “3-5 Pigadia”, which are also part of the hospitality of the Heroic City of Naoussa.

The organizers will focus on cultural diplomacy aimed towards friendship and peaceful coexistence! The ambassadors of the countries from which the participating poets will come will be invited. In addition to Greek poets, poets from Australia, Austria, Birland, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Egypt, Italy, Kurdistan, Portugal and the United States of America are participating. It is exciting that we have participants from countries that are far away such as Australia and the United States of America,” says Xanthi Hondrou-Hill, the organizer of the event.

The festival is supported by the international chamber of writers and artists CIESART, PEN Greece, the World Poets Society and the International Academy LIC! The International Chamber of Poets is broadcasting all the activities of the Naoussa Festival on their TV Station!

The entrance to all events of the festival in the open air theater is free for the public, apart from the theater workshop that costs 10 Euros per person.