Fifth International Poetry Festival 2018 Concludes in the City of Santiago

Santiago, November 29, 2018 – The Fifth International Poetry Festival 2018, organized by the Ministry of Culture, successfully concluded on Sunday, November 25, with a special ceremony headed by the Mayor’s Office of Santiago to declare as distinguished guests the international poets that participated in the event, held November 19-25 in honor of deceased Dominican poet Tomás Hernández Franco.

The ceremony took place at the City Hall Palace, where the following poets were declared distinguished guests of the country’s second largest city. The city honored the following poets, who during the ceremony had the opportunity to read some of their poems: Valerio Magrelli (Italy); Andrés Sánchez Robayna (Spain); Gahston Saint Fleur (Haití); Alberto Garrido (Cuba); Sally Rodríguez and Plinio Chahín, (Dominican Republic).

The Vice Minister of Creativity and Popular Participation, Cayo Claudio Espinal, represented the Minister of Culture, Eduardo Selman, during the event. Also present were León Félix Batista, Festival director; José Núñez, Regional Director of Culture; and Carlina Bisonó, who represented the Secretary of the Municipal Council Félix Michell Rodríguez.

In remarks delivered during the event, Cayo Claudio Espinal highlighted the joy and satisfaction felt by the Ministry of Culture officials for their participation in the Festival.

At the same time, León Félix Batista thanked the delegation of poets that came from various nations to participate in the poetic event.

Later, event organizers presented the segment “Reading and Music” in the Boulevard of Artists, headed by poets Homero Aridjis, (Mexico); Samuel Gregoire (Haiti); Danilo Manera (Italy); Mercedes Roffé (Argentina); and Ángela Hernández, Alexis Gómez Rosa and Edwin Solano Reyes (the Dominican Republic).

Santo Domingo’s International Poetry Festival 2018 also received the support of various institutions, including: the Office of the Mayors of San Pedro de Macoris and Santiago; Casa Quién, and the country’s State run Radio and Television Corporation (CERTV). Also, the Embassies of Spain and Italy, the Pedro Henríquez Ureña National Library; the Children and Youth Library; the Ministry of Education; the television program Cita Cultural, Colegio Babeque, a local high school; Casa de Arte; Festival Arte Vivo in Santiago and the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE).

The members of the Festival organizing included the Minister of Culture, Eduardo Selman, President; Vice Minister of Creativity and Popular Participation, Cayo Claudio Espinal and León Félix Batista, Festival director.

Photo Captions:

1.During the award ceremony, poets Valerio Magrelli, Andrés Sánchez Robayna, Gahston Saint Fleur and Alberto Garrido were recognized by Carlina Bisonó, who represented the Secretary of the Municipal Council Félix Michell Rodríguez; Vice Minister of Creativity and Popular Participation, Cayo Claudio Espinal, who represented the Minister of Culture, Eduardo Selman; León Félix Batista, Festival Director, and José Núñez, Regional Director of Culture.

2.In the photograph, poets: Valerio Magrelli (Italy); Andrés Sánchez Robayna (Spain); Gahston Saint Fleur (Haití); Alberto Garrido (Cuba), and Dominican poets Plinio Chahin, Sally Rodríguez, Elsa Brito de Dominguez and Edwin Solano, accompanied by the Vice Minister of Creativity and Popular Participation, Cayo Claudio Espinal; León Félix Batista, Festival Director; and José Núñez, Regional Director of Culture.

3.Part of the general public that attended the event, along with the invited international poets who were recognized by the authorities.