Category: News

April 9, 2026 Agenda, Events, News, Poems, Poetry

2026 Poetry Festival in Haarlem

On Ascension Day, May 14, 2026, I will present new work at the Haarlemse Dichtlijn poetry festival starting at De Koepel in Haarlem. The program features a parallel line up spread across three rounds and six stages.

The poetry festival starts with a plenary session at 12:00 p.m. at De Koepel, formerly known as the prison yet now a vibrant venue where art, knowledge, and culture come together in dialogue about the meaning of freedom. In a nutshell, an inspiring place to reflect on what freedom truly means

The festival will be officially opened by poet, actress, and visual artist Roberta Petzoldt.

And the hosts for this edition are:

  • Jacqueline van de Sande, Chairman of the CultuurKoepel Foundation
  • Jan Hoekema, former director, coach, consultant, and moderator at De Pletterij.
  • Mireille Buldeo Rai (Jazz & Poetry & Art), runs her own poetry venue in Amsterdam and organizes poetry walks in Bos en Lommer.
  • Bart Top, former journalist who now among others organizes poetry walks in Amsterdam and the Haarlem Dunes.
  • Francien van den Berg, visual artist who creates tactile art and is a passionate reader.
  • Ingrid Elsing, initially a major advocate for poetry in education; now she promotes and presents for the Haarlemse Dichtlijn (Haarlem Poetry Line).

Schedule of the opening & performances on 6 stages:

– 12:00 PM: Plenary opening in the Koepel
– 1:15 PM: First round of presentations
– 2:25 PM: Second round
– 3:35 PM: Third round
– 4:45 PM: After-party at Grand Café The Governor (Hotel Ambassador)

I’ll recite during the 2nd round at 2:25 p.m. at Jansstraat 33 & the 3rd round at 3:35 p.m. at Hof20 (Begijnhof 20).

Visiting the festival is free.

Poetry Collection & Theme

Once again this year, a beautiful festival anthology will be published especially for this occasion, featuring a new poem by each participating poet.
You can purchase the anthology during the festival for just €12. By doing so, you support the festival, ensuring that another poetry festival can be organized next year. In doing so, you give poets a platform and take home a lovely memento. (Also makes a great gift) ;).

This year’s cover illustration was created by artist Eric Coolen.

This year’s theme is metamorphosis.

For the collection, I wrote a new poem around this theme, which I will recite during the festival. Together with other new poems, I’m bringing you another poetic Zatarra-wave.

Come and listen, and allow yourself to experience the various forms this flow may take you through.

Will we meet on May 14?

Warm poetic regards,

Zatarra Raël

Afbeelding ter illustratie bij de tekst van De Koepel in Haarlem met op de voorgrond het Spaarne.
Here you'll find my poem I wrote for the poetry collection.
April 8, 2026 Agenda, Events, News, Poems, Poetry

May 25, 2026, Poetry @ Artwalk Art Sandur

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March 7, 2026 News

From Zatarra Rafaël to Zatarra Raël

From Rafaël to Raël

I have allowed the fa to be free
so I can Be in so, song
song of myself

not just a thing, everything

What does that mean?
I allow fa to be part of my song,
just not the song anymore
shift of perception

If fa is a long, long way to run
so is the song I sing myself

Fa was nothing but a passage,
a verse of pathways to walk
until you reach a place where,
all roads have gone away …

February 4, 2025 Agenda, Events, News, Poetry

BD dinner with guided tour and poetry.

Experience a special event with nourishment for body, mind and soul on Saturday, May 17th 2025. The poetic programme and dinner will follow the season.

At 4:00 PM, we will start with poetry and a tour at the Biodynamic Farm ‘t Leeuweriksveld in Emmen, where there will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions. Thereafter, you can enjoy a lovingly prepared biodynamic multi-course dinner by Alberta and her team, and I’ll bring you Poetry in flow in which I aim to connect the unvisible with the visible. Marteniek Bierman will present his biodynamically grown wine from his vineyard near Vorden. Spoken language will be Dutch.

We hope to welcome and inspire you. See agenda for address.

Would you like to make a reservation? You can via Alberta Rollema her website. Don’t wait too long, as spaces are limited. Full is full.

Want to learn more about biodynamic farming? Then take a look at the BD association website. Also for biodyning (dining) near you.

Images above created in collaboration with AI, fused by me.

Flyer Biodyneren
Flyer biodyneren achterkant
January 25, 2025 Agenda, News, Poetry

Invitation for book launch.

On January 26th, I have the honour of contributing to Monika Joras’ book launch at the Kennemer bookshop, Kleverparkweg 3 in Haarlem. The presentation will begin at 3pm.

Monika will present her 9th poetry collection in Dutch ‘Mens en bron’ (Human and Source), and I will recite one of my personally most cherished poems. It promises to become a wonderful afternoon full of poetry and music.

Feel welcome to share in this special experience with us! Will we see you this Sunday?

Heartfelt greetings,
💖
Zatarra Rafaël

Afbeelding van Mens & Bron
June 12, 2023 Events, News, Poems, Poetry, Publications

Morning Orchestra 1064

A short report in words and images of the festive opening of the exhibition Florilegium Amsterdam 1064 by IJda Smits, in New Metropolis Nieuw-West.

It was a rich program with an opening speech by Rosa van Rumpt, who is program coordinator at the Van Eesteren Museum. Hereafter the third book with a handmade cover was presented.

This was followed by the poetic recitations by me and Azar Tishe.
As promised during the opening, below I share the poem: Morning Orchestra 1064: Rising Harmony, which I wrote especially for and inspired by the Florilegium Amsterdam 1064.

And last but not least, IJda had a surprise for us in store, as we received a crash course in cyanotyping. Awesome! The results were diverse. Here’s my result:

Afbeelding van Cyanotype van een hand.

Missed the opening? You can still admire the beautiful cyanotypes and the Florilegium book until July 1st. Check the website of IJda for the dates and times.

NOTE: the exhibition has been extended and the finissage on July 1st has been postponed to later in July! The exact date will soon be announced.

Afbeelding van Poëzie Voordracht Zatarra Rafaël tijdens opening expo Florilegium Amsterdam 1064.
Afbeelding van Poëzie Voordracht Zatarra Rafaël tijdens opening expo Florilegium Amsterdam 1064.

Above:
poetry recitation by Zatarra Rafaël
Below:
while making a cyanotype

With many thanks for the photos, which were taken by Michiel Wijnbergh.

Afbeelding genomen door Michiel Wijnbergh tijdens mini cursus cyanotypen door IJda Smits tijdens de opening van haar expositie Florilegium Amsterdam 1064.
Afbeelding genomen door Michiel Wijnbergh tijdens mini cursus cyanotypen door IJda Smits tijdens de opening van haar expositie Florilegium Amsterdam 1064.

Morning Orchestra 1064: Rising Harmony

It’s a quiet morning
Fog whisper evaporates gently
in the whooshing, ever-present
undertone of the traffic

The whistles started late this morning
a heron keeps an overview in the dawn
where the orchestra of 1064
start slowly

The first choir members make themselves heard
the percussion has also been awakened
allowing front & rear doors to sound
car doors and a single bicycle bell also participate

The wind sighs, in its deep sleep
a few twigs move silently, back and forth

Then the heron raises its baton
the thistle nods
the white clovers start gently

Ooh dear, what was that…
the doubtful knight’s spur out of tune,
the violets help everything back on track

the shepherd’s purse makes the rapeseed rustle
the ground elder adds a jazzy note
and starts to swing, together with the wild hyacinth

the wind wakes up and allows
the last dandelion fluffs to dance along

the catchweed brings everything together for a conclusion
where the windflower and the arum
close off warmly

Now the throats have been lubricated,
the stems are flexible
and everything is firmly rooted
may the loving noon lake commence

Zatarra Rafaël

Ingekleurde Cyanotype van een knikkende distel door IJda Smits.
Ingekleurde Cyanotype van zuring door IJda Smits.
Ingekleurde Cyanotype van kleefkruid door IJda Smits.

From the top down:

the nodding thistle
the shepherd’s purse and
the rapeseed
the catchweed

Cyanotypes by IJda Smits

May 19, 2023 Agenda, News, Poetry

Poetry Performance, New Metropolis at Opening of Exhibition of IJda Smits

On June 10, 2023 at 4 p.m., the exhibition of IJda Smits will open, Florilegium Amsterdam 1064 in
New Metropolis Nieuw-West.

For her project, IJda made a book in two versions, a printed and a handmade version for which she made many blueprints of plants in her area, also known as cyanotype, an old photographic technique, discovered by John Herschel in 1842. Although, it was Anna Atkins who applied it in photography and published it in book form. More about the Florilegium and cyanotypes can be found on the website of IJda.

In March 2019, IJda and I started a poetry exchange. For the opening of her Florilegium project she asked me if I would like to recite a few poems? Of course!

Would you like to be there? Sign up via the New Metropolis website.

Ingekleurde Cyanotype van daslook door IJda Smits.
Ingekleurde Cyanotype van een akelei bloem door IJda Smits.
Ingekleurde Cyanotype van Doorwaskervel door IJda Smits.
Ingekleurde Cyanotype van zuring door IJda Smits.
May 9, 2023 Events, News, Poetry, Publications

Poetry festival Haarlem 2023

On Ascension Day, May 18, 2023, the poetry festival of the Haarlemse Dichtlijn will settle in and around the Verhalenhuis in Haarlem. The program provides parallel programming over three rounds, spread over 4 stages.

Joshua Baumgarten opens the festival at 1 p.m. Door open at 12.30 p.m. Renske Leijten receives the first copy of the festival bundle. The presenters for this edition are: Ingrid Elsing of the poetry club of the Kennemer Boekhandel, Yvonne Weijers, interpreter of sung poetry by Emily Dickinson and Elly de Waard, Jan Hoekema, debate leader at the Pletterij, and city pastor Tom de Haan.

I myself have been assigned to Jan Hoekema in the 1st round and Tom de Haan in the 2nd round.

Visiting the festival is free, but reservations are required. You can order a zero-euro-ticket on the Verhalenhuis website.

Poetry bundle

Also this year, especially for this occasion, a beautiful festival bundle will be published, in which a new poem is included by each participating poet.
You can purchase the poetry bundle during the festival. Herewith you support the festival, so the festival can be organized next year as well and you take home a beautiful memory.

Theme

The theme this year is: plot… (as in the plot of a story). Nonetheless, the poets are free to make their own poetry. During the festival, there is room for each poet (per round) to recite three poems.

Yes, I’ll definitely recite the poem that is in the bundle! For now, I’ll keep the other poems to myself, but they will also be poems that I haven’t recited before. Come and let yourself be surprised!

Click here for the published poem.

Traveling by public transport?

From Haarlem CS station, take bus line 3 towards IJmuiden, get off at the Spaarnhovenstraat stop. Cross the road to the Verhalenhuis (Story House).

Foto van voordacht tijdens poëzie podium van oktober 2022 van de Haarlemse Dichtlijn.

Recitation during the poetry stage of October 2022, Haarlemse Dichtlijn, in the Verhalenhuis.

Photo by Geek Zwetsloot.