The International Poetry Festival brings together 30 artists from 12 countries in the City of London creating a vibrant meeting point of global voices and contemporary expression. Through spoken word, visual art and live performances, the programme showcases experimentation, creative collaboration, and the evolving forms of 21st‑century poetics.
The “Generation of 2000” in poetry emerges from the period of economic and social crisis as a community of writing that challenges both aesthetic normativity and the institutions of literary legitimacy. The International Poetry Festival present contemporary poetic production as a global network of voices not defined by a unified style or ideological identity, but by a subterranean, diffuse resistance to market normalcy, dominant historical conditions, and social injustice. It focuses on the ways in which poets of the 21st century draw inspiration not only from artistic traditions but also from the other humanities and social sciences, anti-authoritarian philosophy, queer feminism, and anti-colonial theory, linking poetry to critical thought and to local and international social movements. Through practices such as spoken word, video poetry, and self-organized collectives, poetry functions as an act of freedom, a space of community, and a tool for individual and collective emancipation.
The International Poetry Festival in London brings together 30 artists from 12 countries, including poets from the vibrant UK spoken word scene, creating a truly global meeting point for contemporary poetic expression. The programme brings together spoken word performers, video‑poem directors, visual artists, and emerging youth poets, each contributing a distinct voice shaped by their cultural background and artistic practice. From the Basque Country to Sudan, from Iceland to Ghana, from Greece to the UK, the festival reflects a wide constellation of origins and influences, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience poetry as an international conversation unfolding live on stage.