News

The Goran's Spring poetry event began its 52nd four-day tour program on 18 March at 8 p.m., in the VIP club in Zagreb, brimming with people and a great atmosphere. The host of the opening event was the poet and member of the organizing committee Mark Pogačar, while the well-known alternative activist lesbian feminist choir Le Zbor performed to a lively audience. A relaxed and pleasant atmosphere accompanied by the reading of the finest Croatian and foreign poetry prevailed throughout the opening event and numerous poets, editors, translators and publishers had the chance to meet and socialize. With its opening song the choir reminded the audience of the anti-fascist roots of Ivan Goran Kovačić, the poet to whom this manifestation has been dedicated since 1963.

About thirty local and foreign poets participated in the poetry reading part of the evening, led by our laureates, the winner of the Goran’s Wreath – Mario Šuško, and the winner of the Goran for Young Poets award – Goran Čolakhodžić.

Amongst the participants we can mention amidst others our foreign Versopolis poets Kim Moore, Luljeta Lleshanaku and Sigurbjörg Þrastardóttir; the young Slovenian poet Katja Perat, the unique Italian poet, singer and performer Claudio Pozzani, the temperamental Spanish poet María Eloy-García and the local poets such as Kemal Mujičić Artnam and our young Versopolis poets Asja Bakić and Ivan Šamija.

On the second day, March 19, the poetry caravan travelled to Rijeka where a special program dedicated to the project Versopolis poets was held. The caravan is also going to visit Pazin, Hum and, traditionally, Lukovdol. Afterwards, the poets head back to Zagreb where, on 21 March, we will all celebrate the first day of spring and the anniversary of Ivan Goran Kovačić’s birth, at 8 p.m., in the coffee bar U dvorištu.