San Francisco International Poetry Festival
2nd San Francisco International Poetry Festival
July 23-26, 2009
Thousands of people from all over the Bay Area crowded San Francisco venues for the
2nd Biennial San Francisco International Poetry Festival. Held July 23-26, 2009, the festival featured free and open-to-the-public poetry and music throughout the City, including a street party in North Beach, youth events, book signings, translation workshops and more.
Presented by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, Mayor Gavin Newsom, Jack Hirschman and the San Francisco Public Library, the landmark event brought 26 poets from 21 countries to read together with the leaders of San Francisco’s own highly regarded literary community.
The truly international group of poets, from countries including Bangladesh, China, France, Greece, Haiti, Iraq, Israel and Sudan, represent a wide spectrum in the world of poetry, from recognized masters to emerging new talents, who are redefining the art in evolving times.
Honoring our City’s great legacy of encouraging cross cultural dialogue, the 2009
SFIPF was co-hosted by Poet-in-Residence for Friends of the SFPL, Jack Hirschman and San Francisco Poet Laureate Diane di Prima.
Since the
2007 Festival, Friends of the SFPL has presented smaller poetry festivals in a variety of languages, such as the
Iranian Literary Arts Festival,
Vietnamese Poets of the Diaspora and
Flor y Canto en el Barrio: A Celebration of Latino Poetry, in their ongoing effort to continue to build cultural bridges, celebrate the literary arts and foster international dialogue.
2009 Schedule of Events
*All Events FREE and OPEN to the public.
**Translators names appear in parenthesis
***All events subject to change
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Red Poet Film Screening
Koret Auditorium, Main Library
6:00 p.m.Documentary Film on Poet-in-Residence for Friends of the SFPL, Jack Hirschman.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Jack Kerouac Alley Kick Off Party
Kerouac Alley (North Beach)
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.Celebrate the kick off of the 2nd Biennial San Francisco International Poetry Festival with an outdoor party featuring poetry and music.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Palace of Fine Arts
3301 Lyon Street
7:00 – 9:30 p.m.Main Stage Poetry Reading
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Mission Branch Library
300 Bartlett St. (@ 24th Street)
12:00 -2:00 p.m. Translation Colloquy
Two-time winner of the American Book Award Alejandro Murguía join poets Olivia Sears, Stephen Kessler, Judy Bernhard and Kareen James Abu Zeid in a conversation about the art and craft of translation in today’s works.
2:30-4:30 p.m.Readings
Featuring: Anna Lombardo (Olivia Sears), Daisy Zamora
(George Evans), Cletus Nelson Nwadike (Agneta Falk)
Richmond Branch Library
351 9th Avenue (@ Geary Street)
12:00 -2:00 p.m. Children’s Books
Ambar Past, Jorge Argueta, Tony Robles,
Cletus N. Nwadike. Moderator: Sarah Menefee.
2:30-4:30 p.m.Readings
Featuring: Zhai Yongming (Jami Proctor-Xu), Alexandr Skidan
(Rebecca Bella), Lam Thi My Da
North Beach Branch Library
2000 Mason Street (@ Columbus Street)
1:00 -2:00 p.m.New Voices
Join 2008 Poets 11 selected poets Aja Couchois Duncan, Melba Abela, Marty Campbell and David Menendez Alvarez
2:30-4:30 p.m.Readings
Featuring: Roy Arad (Neeli Cherkovski), Menna Elfyn, Paul Flores
Western Addition Branch Library
1550 Scott Street (@ Geary Street)
12:00 -2:00 p.m. Readings
Youth Poetry with Writers Corp Carol Muske-Dukes
2:30-4:30 p.m.Readings
Mabasa (Michael Warr), Taslima Nasrin (Dotty Payne)
Palace of Fine Arts
3301 Lyon Street
7:00 – 9:30 p.m.Main Stage Poetry Reading
Sunday, July 26, 2009
North Beach Poetry Crawl
(Various Locations)
2:00 – 7:30 p.m.Washington Square Park Closing Party
Columbus (@ Union)
8:00 p.m.
