This summer, 204 poets from around the world will take part in a one-off festival of poetry readings, performance and debate. ‘Poetry Parnassus’ is the brainchild of Simon Armitage, which grew from modest beginnings as “an idea on the back of an envelope” to possibly “the biggest gathering of poets in history” (The Guardian). Poets from each of the competing Olympic nations will travel to London to revive a forgotten Greek tradition, where a certain breed of writers known as epinikia would recite specially commissioned poetry to honour the victors of the ancient Hellenic Games.
Yet this international event will have a distinctly British character. Armitage, who is the artist in residence at the Southbank Centre, aptly described the event as “a big sort of fair, where people are bringing their wares and putting them on display”. Instead of a hotdog stand, you’ll find a ‘Poetry Takeaway’, where poems are made to order. If you’re looking to win some prizes, go no further than ‘You Punch Like Keats’, the literary equivalent of ‘Test Your Strength’ at the launch event ‘Rain of Poems’, which is only the 6th of its kind, in which 100,000 poems will fall from a helicopter onto the Jubilee Garden.
It is an event which has the potential to re-establish an ancient connection between poetry and performance, ceremony and celebration. The poets have all been nominated by the public of their home countries, so are well-placed to express the voice of their respective nations. While the best sportsmen in the world battle it out in the stadium, the best writers in the world will demonstrate the continuing relevance of the spoken word.
Poetry Parnassus will run from 26 June to 1 July. Each poet will contribute to an anthology called ‘The World Record’, which comes out on 26 June. Tickets are free, so if you happen to be in London, it should be well worth a visit.
