'Have you really been listening to poems for three hours?' Asaf Avidan had not yet experienced anything like it. The musical headliner of the 34th Night of Poetry has yet another story to take with him on his tour. In the Netherlands, you can quiet a full house by reading a poem. This year succeeded even better than last year. Even at the very last poet, at a quarter past three at night, the Grote Zaal of TivoliVredenburg was still at least half full. That has not always been the case.
LIVE on #Periscope: On last vestige of our battery now heckler #night16 and in a year's time opening #night… https://t.co/NoOAronhCq
- Cultural Press Agency (@culturalpress) September 18, 2016
Of course, it is also unique. A TivoliVredenburg filled to the brim with poetry lovers. The organisers of the 'Night' would almost forget how unique it is. 2000 people listening to poems at the same time: almost as many as the entire circulation of all published Dutch poetry works in the last year, maybe even more. This immediately demonstrates what the 'Night', as the Night of Poetry is called for friends, has managed to achieve over the past 34 years. Stage poetry is no longer the underdog of poetry, which it was for a long time. Logical, of course. Poetry was recited rather than written down.
Even 3000 years after Homer, it is still at least as pleasant to listen and watch poets as it is to read their work. Glad that even the greats of the poetic world now recognise that. The evening's glorious, 'Catholic' lighting scheme, the reason why the hall was filled with a constant fog from as early as eight o'clock, will certainly have contributed. Sometimes you just don't need a set to be impressive.
LIVE on #Periscope: Anne fighter names claims successor #night16 https://t.co/04Dx2AeLvr
- Cultural Press Agency (@culturalpress) September 17, 2016
And a lot of big things were on show this year. Big statements, too. Poet Laureate Anne Vegter was perhaps the most powerful on the subject. After an extremely hilarious 'programme of demands' for her successor, who will be appointed in 2017, she went into depth with a disturbing poem about a Netherlands where the population itself has to flee and is not welcome anywhere. With a compelling rhythm and genuine emotion, she had the packed audience by the throat. And that while before Astrid Roemer had already alarmed people with her most recent, rather paranoid work.
LIVE on #Periscope: Now K Michel on #night16 https://t.co/7LJSDaNrVs
- Cultural Press Agency (@culturalpress) September 17, 2016
Significance and topicality were also present at the reading by Belgium's former Poet Laureate, Charles Ducal: again, focus on refugees and the shameless way our civilised society treats them.
stop digging when you are in the pit
k. michel#night16- Reinder Storm (@Reindst) September 17, 2016
The whole evening was a succession of small and big highlights. Edward van de Vendel, Eva Gerlach: wonderful. The young Fleming Mustafa Kör: one of the big surprises of the evening.
LIVE on #Periscope: Mustafa kör #night16 https://t.co/yLgXP7B0rp
- Cultural Press Agency (@culturalpress) September 17, 2016
And then had to Hans Dorrestijn yet to come. His poetic response to the death of Joost Zwagerman was throat-splitting, as only someone who himself once stood on a rickety chair can manage. Poet of Death F. Starik then showed his extremely cheerful, grass-green side again. Even one of his most impressive 'lonely funeral' poems got another grass joke from him.
LIVE on #Periscope: F. Starik now live. In red suit. #night16 https://t.co/mSD7rDHn4I
- Cultural Press Agency (@culturalpress) September 17, 2016
So remarkably many female poets, this edition, and especially many very good women. Anna Enquist wiped the floor with Amsterdam, the city this convinced Feyenoord fan had crowned city poet out of masochism. The South African Marlene van Niekerk did something wonderful with sound that can only be done in South Africa, and made the audience clamour for more.
#night16 it's the grand old ladies doing t tonight:Eva Gerlach, Joke van Leeuwen and Marlene Niekerk great class!
- jacqueline holly (@jacquelinewmh) September 17, 2016
Tjitske Jansen with her inimitable pace now has star status and the carefully androgynously dressed Marieke Rijneveld is a fast-rising stage wonder.
LIVE on #Periscope: For those who stayed up. Marieke Rijneveld on #night16 https://t.co/paTmKegKjD
- Cultural Press Agency (@culturalpress) September 18, 2016
Big surprise was Roos Rebergen, who in her performance finally managed to get rid of her reputation of being that sheltered, perpetually childish millennial with that cute accent. Her departure for Antwerp did her good: here was a solid poet with a sound of her own. Too bad love is taking her to Kentucky next year: we are really going to miss her. And what on earth should she do among the Rednecks in the land of Trump! Someone backstage whispered that America was just waiting for someone like Rebergen.
LIVE on #Periscope: Roos rebergen reads from adult poetry. #night16 https://t.co/h1NQ9xxo7z
- Cultural Press Agency (@culturalpress) September 17, 2016
We are going to see it. On a stage, somewhere overseas.
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