Balkan poet reads, leads discussion Friday

UGA and the Franklin College welcome Nikola Madzirov, a Macedonian poet whose work has been translated into 30 languages and published around the globe, to Athens to deliver two back-to-back events on Friday Sept. 20 at Ciné, 234 W. Hancock Ave., sponsored by the University of Georgia Creative Writing Program and the departments of Germanic and Slavic studies and comparative literature.

Madzirov describes his native Macedonia as a space influenced by both Eastern and Western cultures, and he explores the possibility of transcending such binaries in his work.

Of his own poems, Madzirov said, "Silence and darkness are the two halves of the core of the universal code of understanding. In silence, all sounds are equal; in the darkness, all objects are the same. However, poetry opens new spaces for inhabiting by means of the words and the light of individuality. ... In order to be able to write, it is necessary to travel both through the world and through yourself."

The evening begins at 6 p.m., when Madzirov will read from his poetry collection "Remnants of Another Age" (2011, BOA Editions); at 7 p.m., he will lead a discussion of Balkan literature, culture and politics. Great opportunities in our community to hear, learn and engage. Don't miss your chance to be a part of it.

Image courtesy of Mr. Madzirov.