As the 2012 London Olympics get underway, poets from around the world will "gather on the banks of the Thames this summer in an attempt to recreate the poetic spirit of the ancient Olympic Games," the Guardian reported. Poetry Parnassus, part of the finale of the Cultural Olympiad, is a series of events "inspired by epinicians, poetry commissioned as part of the ancient Olympic Games in Greece" and will take place at the Southbank Centre from June 26 to July 1.
Thousands of nominations were received from the public to help select a poet from each of the 204 competing Olympic nations. A panel of experts, which is narrowing the field, has confirmed the attendance of 140 poets, ranging from Kazakhstan's 24-year-old Akerke Mussabekova to 83-year-old Anise Koltz from Luxembourg. Also expected to attend are Jo Shapcott (Great Britain), Seamus Heaney (Ireland), Wole Soyinka (Nigeria), Kay Ryan (U.S.), Bill Manhire (New Zealand), John Kinsella (Australia), Jang Jin Seong (North Korea), Luljeta Lleshanaku (Albania), Gioconda Belli (Nicaragua) and Didier Awadi (Senegal). Organizers are still looking for artists from 23 countries and welcome suggestions.
Poetry Parnussus is led by the Southbank Centre's artist-in-residence Simon Armitage and artistic director Jude Kelly. "I'm delighted and amazed that it's happening," said Armitage, who called the festival "a big sort of fair, where people are bringing their wares and putting them on display. It's our own Olympic event, which is non-competitive and celebrating the ancient democratic art form of poetry." Each poet is contributing a poem to The World Record, an anthology that will be available on June 26 from Bloodaxe Books.
