We ended up in Brandenburg! As part of the reading "Women Moving Democracy," our poets Maryam Sarshar, Maryam Talibi, Nadiia Kulish, and Rojin Namer presented their poems on the essential role of women as shapers of society, especially in times of change and challenge. The event took place as part of the 34th Intercultural Week in Potsdam.
After Jasmin Veeh's introduction of the poets, the reading began with Nadiia Kulish's texts in Ukrainian, ending with an important question: "Go left if you stay in Berlin. / I still don't know the answer to this day." Next, Maryam Talibi shared her poems in English, "Shall I burden you with the truth of a poem" and "In the quiet void of midnight," which explore the role of women in Afghanistan, their limited educational opportunities since the Taliban took power, and the resilience and hope that writing about these topics gives her.
Our next poet, Maryam Sarshar, read a selection of shorter texts written in Persian. "You didn’t give me wings, / yet day and night / I dream of flying." The German translations were read by Rojin Namer, who also presented two of her own poems in German at the end of the reading. The event concluded with Rojin’s powerful lines on the resilience of women worldwide, born from the strength of community: "They walk / Until every voice counts / Until every woman is free / To walk, to stand, to be."
After the reading, there was an engaging discussion between the poets and the audience. Our poets talked about how language and poetry connect them with their memories and give them hope for the future, and how writing serves as both a way to connect with others and a retreat for themselves.
They also shared their experiences with writing in their native languages and in German. Rojin added that her political poems are written in German, while she prefers Arabic for love poems — as Arabic has more than ten words for love.
It was a beautiful evening, filled with touching poetry, deep conversations, and inspiring exchanges about the power of language and poetry. We thank everyone who participated in this special evening, and especially our talented poets for their moving words!
