The Universal within the Local

The Universal within the Local is a bilingual cultural event that celebrates Romania’s national poet, Mihai Eminescu.

Poetry Sydney partners with the Australian Romanian Academy, supported by the State Library of New South Wales to present a literary arts event that celebrates the cultural significance of Mihai Eminescu, as the National Poet of Romania. This collaboration between Poetry Sydney and the Australian-Romanian Academy will reintroduce the event as an annual presentation in February next year with the charter of scheduling it in January to align with the official Romanian National Cultural Day in 2024.

The 19th century Romanian poet and writer, Mihai Eminescu is considered a romantic poetic who wrote on a wide range of themes from nature to love, to deep social commentary. In years after his death, the poems and writing of Eminescu had a profound impact on the Romanian society.

The Romanian Parliament introduced a National Culture Day in 2010, on the day of the birth of Mihai Eminescu’s, January 15. The homage is emblematic of the universality of his Western European influences and his deep national connections.

The event will be exponential in providing the antipodean community an opportunity to connect and strengthen relations in Sydney, Australia and Romania. This collaboration between Poetry Sydney and the Australian-Romanian Academy will reintroduce the event as an annual presentation in February next year with the charter of scheduling it in January to align with the official Romanian National Cultural Day in 2024.

poetry / music / visual art

Event schedule – Saturday 1 April 2023

• Eminescu’s poems in English: Tug Dumbly

• Eminescu in Romanian: Catalin Anastase, Adriana Paul and George Roca

• Australian poets: Tatiana Bonch, Charles Freyberg and Angela Stretch

• Instrumental music: Ciprian Porumbecu’s Ballad performed by the Zaki Duo, Isabel Tzorbatzaki and Ariel Nurhadi

• How does this sound in English? A selection of best Romanian poetry in song by Daniel Reynaud

• Romanian poets: Anisoara Laura Mustetiu, George Roca and Dorian Stoilescu

• Remembering Tudor Bucea: George Bucea, Tug Dumbly, Daniel Ionita and Angela Stretch

• Emcee: Daniel Ionita

For more information on the participants please visit: poetrysydney.org

Image detail: Inna Blomma: Physalis © 2023. All rights reserved.

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