Girls reading under the Books for Kids tent
Kids were among the notables invited to the eighth International Festival of Poetry in Granada, Nicaragua. A wide tent of colorful picture books and cushions enticed young readers to relax amid the bustle of the central plaza, as poets and tourists circulated between events in the colonial city. In the country of famed poet Ruben Darío, the festival offered multiple spaces to celebrate and create poetry, from open-mics to workshops to readings under the night sky.
On the final day of the festival young Nicaraguans read their poetry to crowds of visitors from all corners of Nicaragua and the world. They shared the (figurative) stage with Nobel Prize winner Derek Walcott and poets from over 50 countries.
The young poets (university students from different parts of Nicaragua) were chosen by the Nicaraguan Society of Young Writers for the excellence of their work. The Society also publishes anthologies and holds regular events in support of young authors.
The “Reading Corner” tent is a project of the NGO Books for Kids, which works in a dozen communities throughout Nicaragua to provide access to books. They host mini-libraries with daily schedules for children to drop by and read books, or to listen to stories read aloud. Kids come with parents, grandparents, or on their own, and can check out books.
Books for Kids also publishes high-quality children’s literature by Nicaraguan authors. Their list includes titles by poet Giaconda Belli and musician Katia Cardenal, and they include new talent via competitions for illustrating and writing.
Despite Nicaraguans’ deep love for their national poets, books are a luxury for most. Yet the enthusiasm of young readers and writers at the festival attests to the transcendent power of words.
The Book Corner at the Granada International Poetry Festival
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