Kaohsiung World Poetry Festival 2023 program announced

By Ashraf Aboul-Yazid
President, Asia Journalists Association

KAOHSIUNG: Kaohsiung World Poetry Festival 2023 program has been announced today. The festival includes forums, mini forums, reading salons, publication of poetry anthology, theme desk and other activities.

The festival will take place on November 24-28 with 63 poets hailing from China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Venezuela.

November, early winter, a romantic love poem dedicated to you, in the season of gratitude, Taiwan will welcome 22 foreign poets and 41 domestic poets, a total of 63 heavyweight poets.

These poets will be in this land, our favorite hometown, Kaohsiung, to connect with friends through poetry from November 25 to 27. They will read aloud internationally renowned poems for all in Libraries and campuses.

Parts of the activities will be carried out in groups to ensure a better experience so that poets can fully enjoy their stay.

List of Poets in Group A are Marlene Mosquera, Augusto Rodríguez, Siomara España Muñoz, Corina Oproae, Liao Yiwu, Devesh Path Sariya, Xia Xia, Shun-Hua Tsui, Miao-Yi Tu, Tiang-Chhing Li, Kuei-Hai Tseng, Chen Kun-Lun, Min-Yung Lee, Hsi Han (Shu-Fen Peng), Wang Chi-Jung.

In Group B there are poets Álvaro Mata Guillé, Mariela Cordero García, Jorge Aliaga Cacho, Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, Jeremy Paden, Tēnn Sūn-tshong, Ong Chiau-hoa, Lee Shing-Chang, Fang-Tzu Chang, Suei Lin Peng, Iong-Min Lim, Bukun Ismahasan Islituan, Salizan, Syaman Rapongan, Yan Yi-Sheng, Hiòng Iông (Kî-Yáng Lîm).

In Group C they poets are Ryoji Asabuki, Ken Sekine, Matsushima (Kashiwagi), Masahito Matsumoto (Tendo Taijin), Toshiko Hirata, Lin Ta-Yang, Ming-hsin Jen, Chun-Hung Chen, Tzu Ping Sun, Kuo Rin, Tsai Wen Che, Wu Sheng, Maniniwei, Yu-Fang Li, Pi-Hsiu Hsieh, Lee Chang Hsien.

In Group D there will be Choi Young, KyuKim Sun He, Kang Tae Geon, Kim Sang Mi, Kwon Taek Myung, Hsing-Chieh Ling, Li Yu-Huang, Chiung-Ming Cheng, Yu Hsien (Chung-Chin Chang), Mo Yu (Liang-Ya Lin), Bûn-Chiuⁿ Chhòa, Tseng Yuan Yao, Hung Hung (Hung-ya Yen), Khîn-Hōaⁿ Lí, Sen Kim Soon, and Ching-Fa Wu.

On Friday (11/24), a reception will be held at Light Wedding Hall, TAI Urban Resort, 9th floor.

On Saturday (11/25), there will be Kaohsiung World Poetry Festival Panel discussion: Poetry and the World. Host Min-Yung Lee will call speakers Hiòng Iông, Kuei-Hai Tseng, Miao-Yi Tu, Ryoji Asabuki, Augusto Rodríguez, Álvaro Mata Guillé, and Kwon Taek Myung.  Group B venue at MLD will have a poetry reading.

Host Tēnn Sūn-tshong will introduce the poets Álvaro Mata Guillé, Mariela Cordero García, Jorge Aliaga Cacho, Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, Jeremy Paden, Tēnn Sūn-tshong, Ong Chiau-hoa, Lee Shing-Chang, Fang-Tzu Chang, Suei Lin Peng, Iong-Min Lim, Bukun Ismahasan Islituan, Salizan, Syaman Rapongan, Yan Yi-Sheng, and Hiòng Iông (Kî-Yáng Lîm).

On Sunday (11/26), a Mini forum (1) starts at Kaohsiung Literary Museum on “They Write Poems in Kaohsiung—Writing Poems in the Ocean, Planting Poems in the Land”, hosted by Lin Ta-Yang with speakers: Chun-Hung Chen, and Hsing-Chieh Ling. Mini forum 2, at Kaohsiung Literary Museum will be on “Taiwan and the World Are Connected through Poetry”, hosted by Sun-Chhong Teⁿwith speakers: Min-Yung Lee, Devesh Path Sariya, Iong-Min Lim, and Wu Sheng.

The Reading Salon II will have Group B Poets at  Hygge Place, with host:  Tēnn Sūn-tshong, and poets: Álvaro Mata Guillé, Mariela Cordero García, Jorge Aliaga Cacho, Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, Jeremy Paden, Tēnn Sūn-tshong, Ong Chiau-hoa, Lee Shing-Chang, Fang-Tzu Chang, Suei Lin Peng, Iong-Min Lim, Bukun Ismahasan Islituan, Salizan, Syaman Rapongan, Yan Yi-Sheng, and Hiòng Iông (Kî-Yáng Lîm).

On Monday (11/27), Reading Salon III of Group B poets  will be held at The Affiliated Senior High School of National Kaohsiung Normal University, hosted by Ong Chiau-hoa with poets  Álvaro Mata Guillé, Mariela Cordero García, Jorge Aliaga Cacho, Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, Jeremy Paden, Tēnn Sūn-tshong, Ong Chiau-hoa, Lee Shing-Chang, Fang-Tzu Chang, Suei Lin Peng, Iong-Min Lim, Bukun Ismahasan Islituan, Salizan, Syaman Rapongan, Yan Yi-Sheng, and Hiòng Iông (Kî-Yáng Lîm). The Mini forum (3) at Chung Li-He Museum on “Taiwanese and Latin American Poets, Society, Freedom, Poetry”, will be hosted by hosting Kuei-Hai Tseng, Augusto Rodríguez, Jeremy Paden, and Miao-Yi Tu. The interpreter will be Yok-Him Devn.

Korea and Japan in Two Forums

Mini forum (4) on “Japan and Taiwan—Spiritual Exchange between Poets” will be hosted and interpreted by Ruoh-Shan Chiou, with speakers Li Yu-Huang, Ken Sekine, and Ryoji Asabuki. Mini Forum (5) on “Current Situation of Modern Korean Poetry” will be hosted and interpreted by Sang-Ho Kim, with speakers Chiung-Ming Cheng, and Kwon Taek Myung.

Cultural activities start with a visit to Hongmaogang Cultural Park. There will be a guided walk at Chung Li-He Museum, Zuoying Lotus Pond Walking Path, and Hongmaogang Cultural Park Kaoshiung Port Warehouse No.2 tour on deck. The festival webpage here: https://www.2023kwpf.com/