Words’ Long Journey into Light

An Evening with Award-Winning Poet

Ana Blandiana

We had a memorable evening celebrating the power of poetry to uplift, to make room for the light to fill the crevices of our lives. The highlight event of Romania’s participation in this year’s London Book Fair was dedicated to one of the country’s most revered literary figures, poet and activist Ana Blandiana. She was joined by the acclaimed British poet and biographer Fiona Sampson MBE FRSL, a long-standing supporter of Romanian literature in the UK, as well as her translator, Viorica Patea.

RCI London director Aura Woodward introduced the guest speakers and opened the event with a warm welcome, inviting Neil Astley, editor and founder of Bloodaxe Books, to address a few words. The event was occasioned by the recent publication, by Bloodaxe, of Blandiana's fourth poetry collection in English, "The Shadow of Words" (translated by Paul Scott Derrick and Viorica Patea).

The conversation and poetry readings attracted a large audience that queued up for autographs until the late hours of the night. We were also happy to have with us Romania's ambassador to the UK, Mrs. Laura Popescu, British authors, editors, translators and historians, as well as many Romanian, Moldovan and international writers from London's diasporic communities.

Heartfelt thanks to our special guests and to everyone who joined us.

Long live poetry!

Photography by Alex Coman