On 15 December 2017 at 20:30 CET the Amsterdam-based experimental poetry venue Perdu presents the first installment of a series of evenings Toren van Babel/ Diapason around the phenomenon of multilingualism in contemporary poetry. The evenings are curated by Lucie Fortuin, Linda Veldman, and Frances Welling (Avondenredactie/ director of Perdu).

During this evening the multilingual poetry book gestammelte werke (2017) by Rozalie Hirs is presented to the Dutch audience. The new book, recently published by the Berlin-based experimental publishing house kookbooks, can be regarded as a manifesto for Europe and the world. Rozalie Hirs, Linda Veldman, and Frances Welling kick off the evening with a language caroussel of poems in Dutch, German, French, English, and Russian, selected from the new compendium. The performance is followed by a round table discussion with Frances Welling (host), Çağlar Köseoğlu, Dean Bowen, and Rozalie Hirs, on the topic of multilingualism in poetry. After the intermission Hirs performs her music composition Bridge of Babel (2009), an imaginary road trip around the world in twenty languages. The program is concluded with a brandnew multilingual radioplay by Lucie Fortuin, Linda Veldman, and Frances Welling.

Date: 2017-12-15
Time: 20:30 CET
Location: Perdu Foundation, Kloveniersburgwal 86, Amsterdam, The Netherlands