Dominican Republic to Host International Poetry Festival

Poets from 14 countries will come together on Nov. 20 for the IV International Poetry Festival of Santo Domingo for a week of literary appreciation.

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Organized by the country's culture ministry, the event will host artists from Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Colombia, El Salvador, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and the United States, with a number of activities which include poetry readings, discussion roundtables, and workshops.

Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite authors while listening to the recitation of works of poetry from local libraries, cultural centers, schools and universities from Santo Domingo, as well as the provinces of La Romana, Santiago, and Peravia.

Organizers say the creation of the literary event was inspired by the late Luis Alfredo Torres, the renowned Dominican poet and the week of cultural activities are dedicated to his memory.

"Minister (Pedro) Verges is pleased to resume the celebration ... so that an annual platform of poetic exchange is established that supports the task of placing Dominican poetry in the literary panorama of the Spanish language and the world," the ministry said during a press conference earlier this week.

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The last festival was in 2011 but organizers say they hope the event will become a regularly anticipated event in the Dominican Republic and continue to be celebrated annually.

The late poet and journalist Torres was a columnist and editor for several newsprint media and published works such as "Stern Lantern," "Blood Clusters," and "The Beautiful Faces," among others, throughout the 20th century until his death in 1992.