‘Pay With a Poem’ and Four More Ways to Celebrate World Poetry Day

Posted: 2015/03/21 | Author: Solveig Hansen | Filed under: Poetry | Tags: World Poetry Day |3 Comments

This article by M. Lynx Qualey is reblogged from Arabic Literature (in English).

1) Go to a coffeeshop and pay with a poem. There are participating cafes in the UAE, UK, Tajikistan, China, South Korea, Russia, Australia, and all over central and eastern Europe. Plus one lonely coffeeshop in Chicago, USA. Is there one near you? Check the #PayWithAPoem map. If there’s not, urge your local coffeeshop to take part next year.

2) Support an imprisoned poet. PEN is running a World Poetry Day campaign on behalf of Qatari poet Mohammed al-Ajami, currently serving a 15-year sentence. Messages of support should be sent to Mohammed al-Ajami at Doha Central Prison, Salwa Road, Al Rayan, Doha, State of Qatar. And please don’t forget jailed Egyptian poet and novelist Omar Hazek. Read a new poem of his. Translate it into English. Read other poems. Send a letter. And don’t forget.

PEN also features work by four…

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3 Comments on “‘Pay With a Poem’ and Four More Ways to Celebrate World Poetry Day”

selenedreams says:

2015/03/21 at 2:00 pm

thank you for the lovely idea of pay with a poem and the poets featured that write in Arabic.

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- Solveig H. says:
  
  2015/03/21 at 2:11 pm
  
  I think it is a wonderful initiative. Guardian writes: “What is a poem worth? As authors around the world despair of making a living, a company based in Vienna has finally come up with a definitive answer: one cup of coffee.”
  
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  - Solveig H. says:
    
    2015/03/21 at 2:12 pm
    
    Guardian article: http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/mar/20/poetry-coffee-pay-with-a-poem-cafes-world-poetry-day?CMP=share_btn_fb
    
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