Poets and Poetry Readings

13th February 2007
5.15 p.m.

An unusual poetry reading next Tuesday, 13th February, at 17.15 in the Basilica on the Island of St Giulio, Lake Orta. This beautiful frescoed church with its magnificent Romanesque pulpit was founded in 391 by St Giulio, an exceptional setting for this reading.
The readers are the Abbess of the enclosed Benedictine monastery on the island, Anna Maria Cànopi, osb, and Carol Ann Duffy. The poems will also be read in translation. A nun will accompany the reading on a cetra.
This event (a first time ever poetry reading in the basilica) is, of course, free and open to all. It is necessary to be in Piazza Motta at Orta from where the motorboats leave before 17.00. The reading will end at 18.00.
Those who wish to stay on the island for dinner at the restaurant (open for this occasion) may book dinner directly with Ristorante San Giulio, tel: 0322 90234.
info: Gabriel Griffin, poetryonthelake@yahoo.co.uk tel: (+39) 347-8464227.

Past Events:


‘I’m poetried out!’ (John Hartley Williams at end of 2005 festival)

The Sacro Monte readings (annual September festival event and on World Poetry Day, March)
An itinerant reading, following the pilgrims’ path through the russet and gold woods of September, the chestnuts falling, red squirrels jumping through the branches, lizards running up the walls of the twenty 16th C. chapels sheltering life-size representations of the life of St Francis. At each chapel a different poet reads.

Poetry and Jazz (2005)
John Hartley Williams read outside the frescoed Palazzotto in Piazza Motta, accompanied by Andy Hamill on the bass guitar. A fine evening, passers-by joined the listeners, children ran round flying kites, a dragonfly hovered over Andy’s guitar, a bride went up the steps of the Palazzotto and tossed her bouquet over John’s head.

Laura Pariani and Nietzsche (2005)
The author of La foto di Orta (Rizzoli, 2001) led the poets round Sacro Monte, reading passages from her book of the passion of Nietzsche for Lou Salomé which culminated in his kissing her in the woods of Sacro Monte. Nietzsche afterwards spoke of Lou as ‘Lou of Orta’ and dated Thus Spake Zarathustra ‘von Orta an’.

Workshops led by
Mario Petrucci : The Creative Underbelly of Science (2004); Robert Morley : Familiar Fiends and Friendly Foes (2003); Victoria Field: Writing from the Self (2003)

Poetry and dance (2003)
At dusk the boats took participants from the island over the lake to Orta where, as the last light faded from the lake, Alan Bern (Berkeley, California) and Lucinda Weaver (New York) gave a performance of dance and poetry in Piazza Motta: Unsquared and Red is Fugitive. Alan read his poetry in both English and Italian. In the soft lamplight and the shadows cast by the old arches and columns, Lucinda appeared ethereal in her white floating garments. Verses echoed in the quiet square. Passers-by stopped to watch and listen, enchanted.

Poetry as art form (2003)
Jean Johnstone came from Scotland to present her hand calligraphed artworks, special editions commissioned by poets for exhibitions and museums

Poetry and music from Georgia (2002)
presented by Nunu Geladze in traditional costume, rich with embroidery and silver. She illustrated a fascinating outline of Georgian history, customs and literature with poems composed through the centuries by various authors, read in Georgian and in Italian and English translation, punctuated by traditional music. Video of Georgian dance: Egidio Fusco.


UNESCO World Poetry Day readings March Equinox

Poetry for Peace 2002 (supported by the Kiwanis, Borgomanero)
No peace without freedom 2003 (supported by the Kiwanis, Borgomanero)

Earth and Sacred Places 2005

With the students of the Liceo Scientifico P.Gobetti, Omegna, and the Orta Secondary School pupils.
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Focus on poets:
Waving, not drowning
Emily Dickinson. Stevie Smith (2003)
with contributions from Katherine Gallagher and Brian Patten

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Poets of the Great War (2005)
Translations and presentation by Massimo Bocchiola, with Robert Morley

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Videopoetry (2002)

Presentation of the video Noise Level by Leonardo Carrano, selected for
the Venice Film Festival 2002

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Among the poets who have participated in past editions:

Al Alvarez, Carol Ann Duffy, Brian Patten, Penelope Shuttle, D.M.Thomas

Kevin Bailey, Gary Bills, Robert Morley, Michael J. Woods


Alan Bern (Berkeley, USA), Gary Bills (Ledbury, UK), Caroline Carver (Cornwall), Jim Ciletti (Colorado Springs, USA) Barbara Daniels (Wales), Ann Drysdale (Wales), Audrey Dunne,(Hull, UK) Victoria Field (Cornwall), June English (Kent, UK), Charles Evans (London), Jacqueline Gabbitas (London), Suzanne Gaskell, Karl Ghattas (Egypt), Daphne Gloag (London), Geraldine Green (Cumbria), John Hartley Williams (Berlin), Sheila Hyland (Canada), Yvonne Jerome (London), Jennifer Johnson (UK), Brian Johnstone (St. Andrew’s, Scotland), Thelma Laycock (UK), Elena Macchi (Novara), Luciana Malisani (Orta), Andrew Marstrand (London), Madeline McCully (Ireland), Kate Miller (UK), Franca Minnazzoli (Novara), Catherine Moss, Bryan Murphy (Turin), Christopher North (Alicante), Kirwin O’Connor (Ireland), (Canada), Mario Petrucci (Ealing, UK), Lynne Rees (UK), Claudia Maria Rey (Turin), Jennie Robson (Sizzano), Elisabeth Rowe (Devon, UK), Barry Tempest (UK), Siriol Troup (UK), Pamela Vincent (USA), Maria Wallace (Catalonia)

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Some featured readings 2001-2005

Al Alvarez read a selection of his own poems and talked on the role of poetry (Palazzotto, 2001)
Carol Ann Duffy read from Rapture (which received theT.S.Eliot Prize, 2006) (Palazzotto,2005)
Bruna Dell’Agnese read her translations of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Emily Dickinson and from her own collections (Palazzotto, 2004)
Gary Bills read on Sacro Monte from The Echo and the Breath plus new poems, October 2002
Massimo Bocchiola presented his translations We Are the Dead,poems from the Great War (2005)
Liliana Buonfino, actress and poet, read, la Pianta della Madonna by Jacopone da Todi, in Chapel I on Sacro Monte, March (2005)
La Poetica dell’Immagine, poetry and image, photo exhibition by Lorenzo Gorini (2005)
Franco Nasi read his translations for Il sogno preferito del mulo, Corbaccio, of Brian Patten’s poetry, (Palazzotto, 2002)
Christopher North read a selection of his poems written in Spain. (Palazzotto, 2005)
M’ Rabet Faouzi read love poetry in Arabic, accompanied by typical music (Sala Tallone,2003).
Laura Pariani read in the woods and chapels of Sacro Monte from her book La foto di Orta (2005)
Brian Patten presented a selection of his poems, Franco Nasi reading his Italian translations(2002)
Mario Petrucci read his war poems (Sala Tallone, 2004)
Penelope Shuttle read from A Leaf out of His Book and other poems (Palazzotto, 2005)
Maria Soresina talked about Cathar influences on Dante in her book Le segrete cose (2003)
Urbano Stenta read his poems from a lifetime in Braille (2002)
Kenneth Steven read his poems on Scotland and Iona, (Sacro Monte, 2001)
Michael Swan read from his collection When They Come For You,The Frogmore Press. (2005)
D.M. Thomas read from The Puberty Tree .Bloodaxe. (Palazzotto, 2003)