The Payakumbuh Poetry Festival 2025 (November 27–29) focused on the main theme of “Inter-worlds in Poetry.” The event featured a unique collaboration between Pakistani poet Namal Siddiqui and Agam musician Afdhal Zikri. The festival also specifically explored the potential of poetry in adapted forms, such as sound poetry and visual poetry.
The Babylon cultural festival rises amid poverty and ruins, uniting poets and artists from many nations through the shared language of poetry. From ancient Babylon’s legacy to its struggling modern city, the festival shows how art restores hope, sparks dialogue, and keeps the human spirit resilient.
Al-Mutanabbi’s legacy continues to resonate across the Arab world, inspiring poets for centuries. Zurich’s poetry festival revives this spirit, featuring figures like Adonis and Eugen Gomringer. From Arab traditions to Serbian verse, the event shows how poetry offers new ways of seeing—and quietly shapes the world.
