Skopje, 31 May 2024 (MIA) - Skopje Poetry Festival 2024 resumes on Friday with a masterclass, a poetry film-making workshop for young people, conducted by Odveig Klyve from Norway and James O'Leary from Ireland at the City Library Brothers Miladinov in Skopje.

The fourth Skopje Poetry Festival opened at the Youth Cultural Center (MKC) on Thursday evening, under the motto "Battle. Not War!". 

As part of the festival's program for Friday, the audience can see several poetry film projections by Klyve and O'Leary at MKC's Cinema Frosina. 

Later on Friday, MKC will also host an international poetry reading with participants including Marko Pogačar  (Croatia), Veronika Dintinjana (Slovenia), Danilo Lučić (Serbia), Thanos Gogos (Greece), Odveig Klyve (Norway), James O'Leary (Ireland) and Katica Kjulavkova (North Macedonia). 

The event will wrap up the festival's official program ahead of Saturday's field trip and poetry reading in nature, as well as a yoga class guided by Ljubica Mitrevska. 

The festival's official opening on Thursday saw performances by 16 poets from seven countries. The program kicked off with "The Sun Didn't Rise Today", a theatrical dance performance by Endji Nikoloska and Bojan Lazarov inspired by the poetry of the participants. Earlier on Thursday, a pre-event titled Diptych #3 presented a poetry reading and conversation with the authors Thanos Gogos ("Glasgow") and James O'Leary ("Sacrament of the Sick"), moderated by their translator and editor Julijana Velichkovska, and an art exhibition by Toma Dimovski opened at MKC.  

This year's edition of the festival was made possible by the Ministry of Culture, as well as the Youth Culture Center (MKC) - Skopje, City Library Brothers Miladinov - Skopje, Bukva Coffee and Book Shop, Croatian Writers' Society (HDP), PNV Publishing, NORLA and Hotel Cara 1928. The Media Information Agency (MIA) is the media sponsor of the festival, and media partners include Radio MOF, Kajgana, Umno and Kultura Beta.   

Photo: Skopje Poetry Festival