On August 30, 2024, our talented poets presented their poems at the reading event "Neue Dichter*innen braucht das Land!" (The Country Needs New Poets!) in the Gallery of Contemporary Art in Leipzig. The texts presented were created during a series of workshops led by writer and journalist Nasir Nadeem, as part of our project "Zeitzeug*innen der Zukunft" (Witnesses of the Future) in collaboration with PEN Berlin.
It was an evening full of beautiful and touching poetry! Zainab Farahmand took us on a journey through the streets of Kabul, while Nazifullah Naseri shared his perspective from Berlin. Through the rich imagery of their poems, the poets shared their personal experiences of fleeing and migrating, as well as their encounters in Germany. From the color red to Banksy, from birds to bus rides—their poems were inspired by various details of daily life, their own memories, and social phenomena. Sarina Mohammadi ended the evening with lines that still resonate with us: "The melody of birds, of the wind, of murmuring waters. / Indeed, / what bright sounds the dark world holds!" The evening was moderated by our PEN Berlin colleague Birgit Schmitz.
We would like to thank everyone who shared this wonderful evening with us, especially the Afghanistan Forum in Germany e.V. (AFGiD) and the Kabul Literary Society, who were also coordinators of this event.
A special thank you goes to Neman Noori for the beautiful photos.
Image: © Neman Noori
