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, click here.
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).
Recitation during the poetry stage of October 2022, Haarlemse Dichtlijn, in the Verhalenhuis.
Photo by Geek Zwetsloot.