Several weeks ago, the volunteers behind Reykjavík Poetics were invited by the Reykjavík Grapevine to sit down for an interview. Because we do everything together, four of the five of us (one was overseas) sat down and chatted with the Grapevine reporter. At the next RVK Poetics event, we had a photographer taking a few photos.
I think this was a great interview because for those who don't know much about Reykjavík Poetics it wraps the whole project into a great little bundle, and you can hear from Ewa Marcinek and the other creative minds who helped get the whole project started.
Reykjavík Poetics isn’t limited to poetry — they’ve showcased everything from screenplays and non-fiction to music and stand-up. “It’s a space for experiments,” as Ewa puts it. “Why just not go crazy and do fun things and surprising things and experiment!”
One of the things I love most about RVK Poetics is that it is inclusive of all languages and text types. With the Reykavík Open events – the open mics – you really arrive having no idea what you'll experience. These are always diverse events. We encourage readings in languages other than English or even Icelandic.
“Sometimes people will get up and maybe feel a little bit reticent or shy about not speaking in English. And actually, we love that” says Chris. A recent happening featured readings in English, Icelandic, Italian, and Russian. It’s the inclusion of poetry in Icelandic that excites the board. By holding a multi-lingual space for poetry while welcoming Icelandic poetry, they’ve created a space for non-native speakers — who might not have attended an poetry event solely in Icelandic — to hear Icelandic poetry.
Images: Courtesy of Joana Fontinha / The Reykjavík Grapevine