CALL FOR POEMS: Video Poem Marathon in Indigenous and Minoritized Languages

Dear friends,

Almost three months ago we launched the Video Poem Marathon in Indigenous and Minoritized Languages, and since then we have been publishing one poem a day. We have already surpassed 80! 🎉

We are tired, yes — but above all filled with joy. Participation had already been outstanding in previous editions, with more than 250 poems over five years. Just imagine what it means to publish more than 80 poems in a single edition. From Anindilyakwa in northern Australia to Zulu, via Greenlandic Kalaallisut; from the sole remaining speaker of Selk’nam to the few but highly motivated speakers of Livonian, and learners helping keep languages like Hupa alive. 🌍

To those who have already sent their poem: thank you very much. ❤️

 After all the work done, the final step is sharing the videos so they can reach as many people as possible. PEN promotes every video we publish, but experience shows that when poets, friends, colleagues and associations help spread the word, the number of views grows enormously. Some videos have hundreds of views, while others only a few. We encourage you to revisit the marathon, find your videos, and help us promote them (on FB, YouTube, X or BlueSky). 📣

To those who haven’t yet sent a poem or are still hesitating: as you can see, the initiative is very simple. Just record one of your short poems in landscape format. It can be done in a couple of minutes and will allow your language to become part of this great family working to revitalize languages through artistic, literary or simply advocacy efforts. ✨

We currently have poems scheduled for the entire week. If a few more arrive during these days, we will still be able to include them. After that, we will close the curtain after nearly 100 poems this year and more than 350 since this journey began. 🎬

Thank you all very much! 💛

Urtzi Urrutikoetxea

Chair of the Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee of PEN International

Président du Comité Traduction et Droits Linguistiques de PEN International

Presidente del Comité de Traducción y Derechos Lingüísticos de PEN Internacional

@TLRC-PEN    +1-646-944-5756   +34-636-026.451