Showing posts with label Cultural Horizon Magazine (Romania). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cultural Horizon Magazine (Romania). Show all posts

Monday, 11 December 2023

A New Volume from Romania

 

 

Those who have popped across to this blog over the years will know that I have had links for many years with Orizont Literar Contemporan, the international literary journal from Romania produced by Daniel Dragomirescu. This new volume, Retrospectiva Revistei, highlights the writing of fifteen writers of 'prose, poetry and essays' who come from very different parts of the world, including Chile, Romania, USA and Portugal. 


 

A few pages have been allocated to each of the selected contributors to the journal. Each set of pages contains an author bio with photograph, a CV and a sample piece of work. 

 

 

I am very grateful to Daniel for including me in such an international list and for profiling my work and my poetry collection in this way. Driftwood by Starlight can be purchased from The Seventh Quarry shop (link here). 

 

POSTSCRIPT

Speaking of international volumes, I am excited to learn that the new World Poetry Anthology (Darklight Publishing), edited by Hassanal Abdullah, has just been published. It contains poems by Pablo Neruda, Peter Thabit Jones, Aeronwy Thomas, Stanley Kunitz, Lidia Chiarelli and John Kinsella. My Stonehenge poem, 'Preseli Blue', and my husband, David Gill's poem, 'Gloucestershire in The Negev' have also been included. 

Wednesday, 21 March 2018

Going Global on World Poetry Day, 2018



Happy World Poetry Day, 2018

The image above shows a previous package from India, but a similar one (practically identical but with different stamps) arrived yesterday, containing a contributor's copy of the Golden Jubilee issue of Metverse Muse, an international poetry journal edited by Dr. H. Tulsi. It is always a joy to read poems from different parts of the world and to feel connected in this way. Most issues have offered a Fixed Form challenge: the last one was for a Burns Stanza, a form of Scottish origin, and the new challenge is for a Terza Rima, a form that developed in Italy. 
And this, for me, is one of the joys of poetry, that there are countless influences, methods, techniques and forms (see here for example: I contributed three poems to this Handbook from Lewis Putnam Turco in the USA), spanning not only the centuries but also the globe. 
There is much talk in the present climate about letting down the proverbial portcullis, but poetry enables us to see new vistas through the eyes of another. It encourages us to lower the drawbridge instead, allowing literary influences to flow and circulate. I feel this is particularly important at the present time.
Back in the days when the internet was considered a fledgling phenomenon, I remember starting out one year with a fresh goal. I wanted to have a poem published in an international journal. Since then I have had the privilege of collaborating, albeit mostly in small ways, with poets and editors in Romania, Australia, the Netherlands, USA, Italy and Slovenia, to name but a selection of countries. Most collaborations or communications have been via the internet, but occasionally I have had the privilege of enjoying a face-to-face meeting. 
One such occasion was the launch of the chapbook I co-authored with North American poet, John Dotson. It was arranged by our publisher, Peter Thabit Jones of The Seventh Quarry, at the Dylan Thomas Birthplace, 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, in Swansea. John was over from the USA, and we were able to read our poems together. 

Publisher: The Seventh Quarry (Wales) with Cross-Cultural Communications (New York) 

Another of my multicultural forays in the name of poetry occurred when I was invited to conduct an interview in Philadelphia with Donald Riggs, Teaching Professor of English from Drexel University for Orizont Literar Contemporan, Daniel Dragomirescu's international literary journal from Romania. While I was in Philadelphia, I was also able to spend a day with fellow poet, Kay Weeks. We have collaborated on one or two poetry and art projects, including a charity one, Blossoms of Hope.

with Don Riggs in Philadelphia

A year ago Jongo Park, a visual artist from Seoul, South Korea, supplied a painting of a mermaid as a poetry prompt for me. The paired picture and poem were published in an eBook anthology produced by Italian poet, Lidia Chiarelli of Immagine&Poesia, alongside 94 other contributions from 5 continents and 35 countries. You can download this free eBook (Volume 4) from this site
In these uncertain times, it seems particularly important to celebrate our global community of poets and the immense joie de vivre that this ancient art can bring to the modern world.
And if you are wondering why the top photo is not of the actual parcel that arrived yesterday, well, in my haste to preserve the Indian stamps for the work of TLM (The Leprosy Mission), I made rather a mess of the packaging!

Tuesday, 19 September 2017

Celebrations Afoot at Orizont Literar Contemporan (Romania)


With Professor Donald Riggs in Philadelphia, 2011

I was delighted to receive this link today, taking me through to a summary of what has been a truly international rollercoaster of a decade for Daniel Dragomirescu and his colleagues who work tirelessly across languages and genres to produce Orizont Literar Contemporan, the self-styled 'world in a journal'.

This literary magazine, celebrating its 60th issue, has now been in production for ten years, and you have only to read the summary of its history to see how it has evolved, expanded and diversified during this time. There is a huge library of multicultural books and now a Dictionary of writers' biographies.

Thanks to Daniel, Katherine Gallagher and others, I have been associated with the journal for much of its existence. It has been a pleasure to introduce a number of poet friends from Wales and elsewhere through my early Dialoguri interviews, and friends from Suffolk and beyond through other ventures. It has been a wonderful way of making new literary friends, too, from a range of countries.

I am grateful to the teams of translators (see this post by Anne Stewart) who work so hard behind the scenes, ensuring that a poem, for example, can appear in up to three languages, most frequently Romanian, Spanish and English.

Many happy returns to Daniel and his A Team! Here's to the next decade and the next 60+ issues...

Monday, 20 July 2015

Poetry Round-up

Staffin ... Isle of Skye


Time for a quick poetry round-up ...

Due to time away and other commitments I have got behind with my postings, so here is a summary.

  • I have been awarded Third-Equal in the Fixed Form Poet of the Year (2014) Challenge for the Metverse Muse (#38, ed. Dr. H. Tulsi, Visakhapatnam, India) competition in Category A. My poems in the international contest were 'Nightmare' and 'Feline Fancy'. My poems, 'Cattle Crossing, Staffin Bay' and 'Winter's Knife' have been published in this issue of Metverse Muse. 
  • My review of Mike Bannister's poetry book, The Green Man (translated into Romanian as Omul Verde) has appeared in Orizont Literar Contemporan, in the May-June 2015 issue. 
  • My interview with Professor Don Riggs of Drexel University in Philadelphia has appeared in Made of Words (translated into Romanian as Făurit din cuvinte). Published in Romania under the aegis of Orizont Literar Contemporan.

Tuesday, 29 April 2014

Update from Romania ~ Orizont Literar Contemporan

Daniel Dragomirescu in the centre

Orizont Literar Contemporan continues to go from strength to strength. Daniel Dragomirescu, Romanian-based editor-in-chief of this international literary journal with the strapline, 'all the world in a magazine', has written an updated account of the story so far. You will find his account here.


The photo above shows me interviewing Donald Riggs, Teaching Professor of Creative Writing at Drexel University, when I was in Philadelphia in January 2012. The interview appeared shortly afterwards in Orizont Literar Contemporan.  

There was an excellent feature recently on a dozen Scottish poets, and more recently still, I have been delighted to find work by my publisher, Peter Thabit Jones (The Seventh Quarry Press, Swansea) in addition to poetry from Gillian Clarke, the National Poet of Wales, and Owen Sheers, Welsh poet, author and scriptwriter.

If you would like further information about the journal, please leave a comment here or contact Daniel via the website.

Monday, 20 May 2013

A Norfolk-Suffolk Dozen (of poets) in Orizont Literar Contemporan, Romania

CONTEMPORARY LITERARY HORIZON NO 2 (34)/MARCH-APRIL 2013 / 
HORIZONTE LITERARIO CONTEMPORANEO NO 2 (34)/MARZO-ABRIL DE 2013 

Coming soon ... the issue which includes the Norfolk and Suffolk Dozen of Poets. There is a preview here, with a poem, 'Day Out', from Sue Wallace-Shaddad.

The journal costs 15 Euros (plus 2 Euros tax). Please get in touch if you would like to buy a copy. 



Orizont Literar Contemporan ~ All the World in a Journal

CONTENTS 

CRITICĂ 
Daniel Dragomirescu, Una fiesta intercultural
Neil Leadbeater, Albert Camus, Religion and “The Fall”
Donald Riggs, From Horatio  Hornblower
Mira Faraday, The Misty Isle
Juana Castillo, Bernardino
Eduardo Sanguinetti, Los Peligros de la igualdad
Niza Todaro Glassiani, Juana de Ibarbourou
Manuel Ameneiros, Tema espinoso
Alan Gomes, Criminal Majority at Brazil 
Mario Antonio da Silva (Brazil), Arte e verdade
A NORFOLK-SUFFOLK DOZEN
Caroline Gill, Introduction
Mike Bannister
Anne Boileau
Helen Ivory
Rosalynde Price
David Gill
Wendy Webb
Cameron Self





Lynn Woollacott
James Knox Whittet
Sue Wallace-Shaddad
Ivor Murrell
Heidi Williamson
Chris Gribble
Naomi Jaffa
POEZIE
Jenifer Ransom
Douglas Lipton
Martin Bates
Khadija Ejaz
Paul Satherland
Paul Mein
Mike Foldes
Lidia Borghi
Ettore Fobo
Astrid Fugellie
Luis Benitez
Oziella Inocêncio
Rodolfo Chavez
César Curiel
Monica Manolachi
Andréia Franco
PROZĂ
Patrizia Boi, La Chiave magica
Edmundo Gaudêncio, Sombras
Radu Mihai Dimăncescu, Memorii
Bogdan Guţu, Scrisoare anonimă/Anonymous Letter
PROFIL CULTURAL  
Theodore Elssaca (Santiago de Chile)

OLC/CLH-ALL THE WORLD IN A JOURNAL

Wednesday, 6 February 2013

International Echoes: From Romania ~ Orizont Literar Contemporan

From Romania : Orizont Literar Contemporan journals and Daniel Dragomirescu's * new * Oriztonturi Interculturale book

Daniel Dragomirescu, author and editor-in-chief

Many of you will know that I am a supporter of - and external collaborator for - the international journal, Orizont Literar Contemporan from Romania. The Romanian team members work extremely hard to produce publications reflecting the diverse views of writers of all kinds (novelists, journalists, poets ...) from all over the world. This makes for a fascinating read and offers a multicultural perspective on life in general and on the international literary scene in particular.

There has been a flurry of new publications in recent months, beginning with the issue of the journal (top right, showing Edinburgh Castle), An V - Nr. 5 (31), which includes a feature by Scottish-based poet, Neil Leadbeater, on 'A Dizzen Scottish' poets. Eileen Carney Hulme, known to Indigo Dreams poets, is represented as one of the twelve, along with Kenneth Steven, known for his poems of the wonderful island of Iona. I enjoyed Eleanor Livingstone's report on StAnza, Scotland's international poetry festival. This issue also contains poetry from the Dominican Republic (Marielys Duluc Reyna), Brazil (Andreia Franco), Italy (Claudio Sottocornola) and the USA (Daniel Montoly), to cite but a few.

This journal was swiftly followed by An V - Nr 6 (32), which includes not only the work of Mexican poets, but also a prose piece, 'A Letter about Mexico' from Mira Faraday in the USA. I would particularly like to see the phenomenon of the mountain-top butterfly migration that Mira evokes, the more so since I was spellbound by the coverage of something similar in Sir David Attenborough's recent BBC natural history programmes on Africa. This issue also includes a selection of poetry by Anne Stewart, who will be known to many of the British poets. Her poem, 'Take my Hand', particularly appealed to me.

This brings me to the new book!

Orizontale Interculturale (ISBN 978-606-13-1174-3) by Daniel Dragomirescu is a remarkable record of the early years in the life of this multicultural literary magazine. It charts the hopes and dreams alongside some of the challenges that faced the small team of dedicated enthusiasts in the early days of the project. In one sense the smiling faces of Equipo Dragomirescu say it all, in the delightful cover painting by Virginia Patrone from Spanish Uruguay for Orizont Literar Contemporan has come of age!

The Director, Mihai Cantuiari, pays tribute in his Preface to Daniel's vision, noting that Daniel's 'youthful dream' for an independent international literary magazine finally came to fruition in 2008. There is certainly cause for much celebration in 2013. The magazine has found its way into numerous corners of the globe. It continues to draw more supporters via its presence on the web and by word of mouth. The Director's Preface is followed by a Romanian translation of Daniel's Cosmic Suitcase, a witty and charming tribute by Peggy Landsman (USA), a loyal supporter from the outset.

The book is largely in Romanian. It also contains articles and chapters in English. These include the paper that constitutes the final chapter of the book, From Creative Localism to Interculturalism, and a transcript of the interview conducted by Luis Benitez with Daniel, entitled All the World in a Journal.

So ... in the words of Daniel Dragomirescu,

'We're offering our readers pieces of literature
 written in languages of international circulation, 
and our efforts appeal to them ... 
CLH  (i.e. Orizont Literar Contemporan) aims to become
 an ambassador of friendship and cultural dialogue 
between all the people in the world.'




Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Anthology Alert (11): Antologia Launch in Bucharest

Editor-in-chief, Daniel Dragomirescu (centre) with members of the editorial team

My thanks to Daniel Dragomirescu, editor-in-chief of Orizont Literar Contemporan / Contemporary Literary Horizon magazine, for this photograph of the recent launch event of the Antologia / Anthology at the Muzeul Literaturii / Museum of Literature in Bucharest, Romania. You can read more here (in Romanian) and here (from Rosetta Savelli in Italy) and here (from me in the UK!).


ALL THE WORLD IN AN ANTHOLOGY
TODO O MUNDO EM UMA ANTOLOGIA
TOUT LE MONDE DANS UNE ANTHOLOGIE
TODO EL MUNDO EN UNA ANTOLOGIA
TOT MAPAMONDUL ÎNTR-O ANTOLOGIE


If you would like to buy a copy of find out more about this engaging international magazine, please leave a message in the Comments section below or send an email using this link.

Monday, 30 January 2012

Publication Pointer (3): Orizont Literar Contemporan - Anthology on the Way!

The cover of the 'Antologia'
I am much looking forward to the publication of the second Antologia produced by Daniel Dragomirescu, editior-in-chief of Orizont Literar Contemporan (Contemporary Literary Horizon) magazine from Bucharest, Romania. The international list of contributors is up on the OLC/CLH site here, and you will see that they represent places as far apart geographically as Argentina and Nigeria, Japan and Canada - not forgetting India and Italy. Two of my poems have been included.

Tuesday, 24 January 2012

Magazine Moment (28): Orintont Literar Contemporan - Canary Islands number

Literary greetings from Romania!

I was delighted to receive the first 2012 edition of Orizont Literar Contemporan from editor-in-chief, Daniel Dragomirescu from Bucharest, Romania. This special issue celebrates the work of twelve poets from the Canary Islands, namely . . .

  1. Rosario Valcarcel
  2. Felix Martin Arencibia
  3. Teresa Delgado Duque
  4. Teca Barreira
  5. Isa Guerra
  6. Samir Delgado
  7. Antonio Arroyo Silva
  8. Russo Rodriguez
  9. Berbel
  10. Noel Olivares
  11. Aquiles Garcia Brito
  12. Daniel Bernal Suarez

I am particularly grateful, too, for the smart certificate. Thank you to Daniel and all who work hard behind the scenes in Bucharest. May 2012 be a great multicultural year for the magazine.

Monday, 6 June 2011

Magazine Moment (24) : Orizont Literar Contemporan, Romania


Orizont Literar Contemporan
'All the world in a journal' 

Thanks to the stalwart efforts of editor-in-chief, Daniel Dragomirescu, and the editorial team, the latest issue, An. IV, number 2 (22), of Orizont Literar Contemporan has been published - and has now reached me from Bucharest. In keeping with the magazine strapline above, this number contains a literary feast of poetry and prose from many corners of the globe. We find Gonzalo Salesky bringing us his poems from Argentina (p.14), and Professor Donald Riggs sharing the second instalment of his article on the teaching of Creative Writing in universities in Philadelphia (p.52). Catherine Mimano offers the lively perspective of a nineteen year old in terms of the cultural identity of her country, Kenya, a land of the wildebeest migration and hip-hop music.  

My knowledge of modern languages is limited, but I always enjoy seeing the translation of a piece of work alongside the original. Adolf P. Shvedchikov writes his poetry in Russian with alternative English versions. Petronela Corobleanu of the translation unit, MTTLC, at the University of Bucharest has provided a Romanian translation, too, and it is fascinating to see the three languages laid out together on the page.

Wales is well represented in this issue. I was particularly delighted to find an appreciation by Byron Beynon of the poet, Raymond Garlick, who died on 19 March 2011. Byron is brilliantly placed to write such a piece, for, as we discover in his tribute, he was the recipient of over 100 letters and cards from this formative Anglo-Welsh poet. You will also find my latest interview, number seven in the 'Dialoguri Galeze' series, with poet and Tuesday Poetry Group leader, Jean Salkilld. Jean's poem, 'Legend's Source' (p.4), takes us 'through lights of autumn leaves' into the northern woods of America, where the tears of Hiawatha's mother supposedly welled up in the form of the mighty Missisippi river. Our thanks to Petronela Corobleanu for her translation into Romanian.

The magazine covers every shade of style and emotion. I will end by alluding to Victor P. Gendrano's piece, 'My Grocery Adventure', on p.34. He demonstrates in three short paragraphs just how he was able to fulfil his daily motto of making 'at least one person smile'. It would be giving the game away if I spilled the beans (no pun intended!) and explained just how he came to do this, for perhaps you would prefer to order a copy of the magazine and find out for yourself ... 

Thursday, 31 March 2011

Magazine Moment (21) : Orizont Literar Contemporan, Romania

Annul IV - Nr.1 (21) Ian. - Febr. 2011 ~ 64 pagini
  • MAGAZINE: please enquire about PayPal and/or subscription options here

The latest issue of Orizont Literar Contemporan is brimming with material from diverse corners of the globe, including Spain, France, USA, UK, Patagonia, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Italy, Russia, Kenya, Germany ... and, of course, Romania. 

Editor-in-chief, Daniel Dragomirescu, has once again succeeded in blending a rich and potent concoction of international culture and literature. The final (fictional) contribution in this number is an excerpt from Daniel's novel-in-progress, 'Un Om Printre Oameni' | 'A Man Among Men'. It concerns a country with an 'existential climate' that is healthy 'for all Romanians'. By the same token, the magazine itself surely reflects a 'healthy' and dynamic global community of (largely literary) artists who long to exchange and share cultural ideas and enterprises.

Take Juana Castillo Escobar, for example. She pens an engaging and personal portrait of 'The Literary Life in Madrid', describing the city as 'a crucible of culture', which supports three tiers of literary activity. On the other side of the Atlantic we find Professor Donald Riggs teaching Creative Writing in universities in Philadelphia, USA. The format he describes for a writing workshop is very similar to the monthly gatherings of the Tuesday Poetry group I attend here in Swansea, the home town of Dylan Thomas. I was fascinated to discover that Riggs, who has 'nothing against free verse', prescribes the writing of at least '250 haiku over the course of the 10-week term' in addition to the writing of other formal poetry, by way of counter-balancing the current trends. The poetic sound dimension (perhaps what Professor Lewis Turco would call 'The Sonic Level') is of paramount importance for Riggs, who advocates the reading aloud of work in a workshop. 

And so to the poems themselves. Lunar subjects seem to be on the ascndancy this time. Canadian poet, Carole St-Aubin, takes as her subject, 'La Lune et moi'. I am immediately drawn to another succinct poem, 'The Moon', by Peggy Landsman from USA. This poem is perhaps more like a tiny star, and yet within its compact frame, we find the moon in the guise of 'white whale'. There is something charming and almost playful about this piece. I, for one, am particularly drawn to its imagery. The following passage from Anthony Trollope's Barchester Chronicles comes to mind:

"How indeed!" said Bertie. "Why shouldn't there be a race of salamanders in Venus? And even if there be nothing but fish in Jupiter, why shouldn't the fish there be as wide awake as the men and women here?"

I have barely scratched the surface, but I hope I may have whetted your appetite a little. Do consider taking up a subscription or paying for a sample copy (please contact Daniel via the link above). In these days of global uncertainty, it is a great joy and privilege to experience aspects of the literary life from diverse and often unusual perspectives. Thank you, Daniel and friends, not forgetting the University of Bucharest translation team at MTTLC.  


 Past contributors, with a presence on the web ...

Wednesday, 25 August 2010

Magazine Moment (16): Cultural Horizon Magazine (Romania)



You can enjoy the vibrant 'buzz'

of Van Gogh's famous Sunflowers
here

I was delighted to receive the current copy of Contemporan Orizont Literar (Annul III - Nr.4 (18) / JULY-AUGUST 2010) through the post from Bucharest. Mihai Cantuniari is Director of this international and largely multi-lingual publishing enterprise, with Daniel Dragomirescu as Editor-in-Chief. The magazine's new Foundation is a media partner of MTTLC, which comes under the guidance of Professor Lidia Vianu at the University of Bucharest.

GOOD NEWS! ... Members of the magazine's editorial and production team have secured a national headquarters in Bucharest. The new Foundation is now on track. Daniel and his colleagues have persevered to ensure that the magazine goes from strength to strength, rising to new heights and inspiring readers (and writers) from all corners of the globe. I am not alone in acknowledging a debt to the editor's cultural foresight.

A package from Romania!

The arresting and penetrating eyes of Van Gogh, in his self portrait 'without beard', adorn the front cover of this issue. I cannot help feeling that the portrait complements the poem on p.16, After Kirchway after Keats by Professor Donald Riggs of Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA. I have no idea whether the painter's depressive and suicidal traits were manifested in a previous generation, but I find myself substituting 'brother' for 'sister'* in Van Gogh's case. The poem poses - as perhaps all good poems should - more questions than it attempts to answer, concerning our genetic and social make-up as individuals. I found myself reconsidering the old chestnut of whether art arises in its most potent form out of suffering - or whether suffering is just one of many valid catalysts for creativity.

This fine poem by Riggs is, of course, not about Van Gogh but about Keats. A picture of the poet lodged itself in my head back in 1985, when I lived in Rome, and paid my first visit to the Protestant Cemetery by Piramide (named after the eye-catching Pyramid of Cestius), to see those paradoxically ethereal and immortal words of epitaph etched in stone. Since then my vision has mutated somewhat, and it would be fair to say that the Keats of Bright Star is probably the dominating picture today - such is the power of story, reconstruction and (perhaps especially) the moving image.

Curiously, this issue has more of Keats on p.50. Swansea poet, Byron Beynon, evokes the interior of the Keats-Shelley House at 26 Piazza di Spagna, in his poem, The Spanish Steps, Rome. The poem includes the chilling line, 'death entered at eleven o'clock'.

Speaking of Wales, you will find my interview with Cardiff eco-poet, Susan Richardson (and here), on p.4 - along with Susan's polar poem, Waiting at the Breathing Hole, about life above and below the ice, in which the speaker waits expectantly for 'the whiskered nose of inspiration'. The poem is from Susan's acclaimed poetry collection, Creatures of the Intertidal Zone, published by Cinnamon Press. Thank you, Susan, for your detailed answers to my snow-shower of questions! Incidentally, you can read about Susan's recent visit to Keats' House in Hampstead, UK here.

This edition contains 60 packed, illustrated and well presented pages of:
  • Articles and Features (e.g Deborah Ann Erdmann, USA on There's No Place Like Home)
  • Poetry (p.8-11, 16-18, 21-22, 25-26, 30-31, 34-36, 43-48, 50-55, 59)
  • Contemporary Perspectives and Horizons (e.g. Peggy Landsman, USA; Iorgu Gălăţeanu, Romania; Maria Eugenia Mendoza Arrubarrena, Mexico)
  • Photographs and Illustrations (throughout)
Thank you once again, Daniel, for the opportunities that have arisen - opportunities to make new friends, to gain fresh perspectives on the multi-faceted world of the Arts, and to learn more about Romania itself.

This edition is truly 'international' in outlook. The following countries are represented by those who have contributed:
  • Romania
  • USA
  • Germany
  • Chile
  • India
  • Bulgaria
  • Nigeria
  • Spain
  • Mexico
... and Wales, including a page of Lyrical Horizon | Orizonturi Lirice poems by Chris Kinsey. I interviewed Chris, BBC Wildlife Poet of the Year 2008, in an earlier edition in my occasional column, Dialoguri Galeze.

Do take a look at the magazine site here. New subscribers are always welcome.
  • MAGAZINE PRICE: 12 EUROS | 15 DOLLARS PER COPY (SHIPPING INCLUDED). PayPal details to the right of the magazine page if you click here.
* A letter from Keats to his sister, Fanny