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local Tuesday 16 May 2023
Exchange of poetry and literature: the main goal of the poets

invited to the Aruba International Poetry Encounter

(Oranjestad)—The Aruba me. This event reminds you
International Poetry En- that writing is a social pro-
counter began last Tues- cess, that you even have
day, May 9th; a project or- a duty to share your work.
ganized by Maria Silva-Hart And really, I came to learn
from the Basha Foundation, more,” she said.
along with Aruban-Argen-
tine poet, Arturo Desimone, Wilson Alves Bezerras is a
and which took place for poet, teacher and transla-
the first time in Aruba. The tor from Brazil, who during
event ends on May 18th the last 20 years, has dedi-
and is filled with all sorts of cated himself to educa-
activities, meetings, pre- tion and the translation of
sentation and workshops Hispano-American litera-
on the art of poetry and lit- ture in Brazil. He was has a
erature. poetry novel and it’s his first
time on Aruba.
Our reporter had the oppor-
tunity to sit down with some “Aruba is fascinating be-
of the poets invited to this cause of its linguistics; you
meeting to talk about their see traces of Portuguese,
careers, their history within which is my mother tongue.
the poetry world and their Papiamento is a fascinat-
expectations for this event. writers from Chile, as well as ing language with traces of
from other countries, and Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch
America Merino, poet and through this I learned even and English, and for us from
translator from Viña del Mar faster,” she stated. all the way in Brazil, it’s very
in Chile, shared that she interesting. The island is also
translates poetry pieces In terms of her stay in Aru- very beautiful, the people
from Italian to Spanish. She ba—her first time on the is- are really friendly and I’m
studied translation in Flor- land, Merina said that she really enjoying my time
ence, Italy, and from there is enthralled by the beauty here,” he expressed.
she kept reading, learning of the island: “It really is a
and translating. happy island, it’s so beauti- Alves-Bezerras shared that
ful. I don’t think there any- he loved children’s stories
From a young age, Merino thing like this back in Chile from a young age and
always liked poetry. In ele- and everything surprises the idea that you can cre-
mentary school, she always me; from the intense bright ate a story with language
looked forward to the po- color of the sky to the su- and poetry. He has been
etry sessions and the end of per friendly people and an avid reader from child-
the year, but it wasn’t until the great food. I’m always hood; his father owned a
after she left school and meeting a lot of poets from newspaper kiosk and he
went on to university that around the world.” would learn words from
she took poetry seriously playing the puzzles that
and tried it professionally. In terms of her expectations were in these papers.
of this event and what she
“When I joined the founda- hopes to get out of it, she “University was nothing else
tion of Pablo Nerudo, I took remarked that she hopes she expressed. art crafts from home, and than a way to maintain my
a workshop with the direc- she could shares poetry, she also had a lot of book childhood dreams and my
tor. From there, I started have the space to share Marta Jazming Garcia is to read: “despite our finan- relationship with literature
developing and perfecting her work as well as others’ an artist from Puerto Rico cial struggle, the element and poetry,” he added.
my skills little by little in the work, especially those she who performed in differ- of art was never missing at
field of poetry. I got rec- translated: “I want to bring ent areas in the world of home. That was what kept In terms of his expectations
ommended by poets and poetry from Chile here,” poetry and literature. Gar- fueling my passion,” she ex- of the event, he explained
cia shared that she mainly pressed. that he finds the event fas-
writes poetry, but she is also In terms of her expecta- cinating, because this way
an academic in literature. tions of this event, Garcia he can exchange poetry
remarked that this event with Caribbean and Latin-
She is also an illustrator. She gave her confidence and American poets, which is
explained that she will soon opened her eyes to the art one of the only ways to
be releasing her first illustra- of poetry writing and how keep poetry alive, he ex-
tion book: “I’d say my first this really must be shared pressed.
passion was painting, but I and discussed amongst
like art in general,” she said. artists. “Unfortunately, poetry cir-
culates poorly within the
She further explained how “To be completely honest, continent and meeting
she always liked painting; writing is a very solitary ac- other poets is a singular
that was her forte, and tivity, and I normally don’t possibility for us to make
then followed writing. Her share in groups something our work known, translated
mom made handmade that I feel is very personal to and edited,” he finalized.q