Poetic Punkgala

From ugly and furious, melancholic and gloomy, to high-spirited and laudatory – poetry encompasses all the extremes of human existence. Six poets meet this evening in a lyrical world off the beaten path. Your guide for the evening is poet and writer Eira Søyseth.

On stage will be:
Vónbjørt Vang from the Faroe Islands, who was recently announced as the winner of the Nordic Council Literature Prize for her poetry collection Svørt Orkidé [Black Orchid], a collection that revolves around a mother-son relationship.

Gunel Movlud from Azerbaijan, who has lived in Trøndelag since 2016 after fleeing her home country, where she was an opposition activist. Movlud has made a name for herself with powerful performances of poems about women’s status in society.

Thalente Ndlovu from South Africa, a young actor and poet who will perform poems in isiZulu.

Mette Moestrup from Denmark, who is known for her stage performances and will read from her latest collection of poems, Butterfly Nebula, which was recently translated into Norwegian.

Abduweli Ayup and Mirigul Mosa from China are Uyghur poets who are working with Erlend Wichne to translate poems by Uyghur poets currently being held in Chinese internment camps. They will be read by librarian Anne Berit Lillegraven Hellan.

Hildegunn Dale from Norway, who has published a number of poetry collections in which she explores nature, landscape, and human relationships. Her latest collection is called Huset jorda i vatn [The House Buried in Water] from 2024.

Michael Opara from Nigeria, who has made a name for himself on Bergen’s spoken word scene in recent years both as an organiser and through his own performances. His latest project deals with the experience of betrayal when family relationships break down.