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On February 13–15, the International Poetry Festival “Poems on the Asphalt,” dedicated to the memory of Michas Straltsov, will take place at The Free Belarus Museum.
Among the planned events are the ceremony announcing the winner of the Michas Straltsov Literary Prize, discussions, presentations of Belarusian poetry of 2025, meetings with writers from Podlasie and international fellow poets from Germany, Norway, Poland, and Ukraine, an evening for graduates of the School of Young Writers, and the traditional “Night of Poetry.” A Belarusian book fair will run throughout all three days of the festival.
February 13
19:00–20:00 — Festival prologue: “Michas Straltsov as We Remember Him.” Featuring Uladzimir Arlou and Uladzimir Nyaklyayev. Moderator: Tsikhan Charnia-kievich.
20:00–21:00 — Official opening. Ceremony announcing the winner of the Michas Straltsov Literary Prize.
February 14
12:00–13:00 — New publications of the International Union of Belarusian Writers: the almanac Apostrophe, the prison poetry anthology Poems for Freedom, and the anthology of contemporary Lithuanian poetry City on the Hill.
13:00–13:40 — After Zekameron: new poems and songs. Creative meeting with Maksim Znak. Moderated by Tatsiana Nyadbai.
13:40–14:30 — Presentation of the uncensored edition of the novel Ears of Grain Beneath Your Sickle by Uladzimir Karatkevich. With publisher Yaraslau Ivaniuk and writer Uladzimir Arlou.
14:30–15:10 — Presentation of the poetry collection This Is Not About Us.
15:10–15:50 — Presentation of Valyantsina Aksak’s new poetry book Dinner with Another Woman’s Lover.
15:50–16:50 — “Uncle Vasil”: colleagues’ memories marking the 90th anniversary of Vasil Siomukha (1936–2019).
16:50–17:30 — Presentation of Dzmitry Dzmitryiyev’s book Codex. Imago. Index.
17:30–18:30 — Meeting with poet Ana Kleiva (Oslo, Norway). Presentation of Belarusian translations from her new book Triks. With translator Maryna Hobbell.
18:30–19:30 — Author evening and poetry readings by Krystyna Dąbrowska (Warsaw, Poland). Moderator: Andrei Khadanovich.
19:30–21:30 — Night of Poetry: readings by Belarusian poets and festival guests. Hosted by Darya Bialkevich and Andrei Khadanovich. Musical improvisation by Uladz Lankevich and Raman Zharabtsou.
February 15
11:00–11:40 — “Pig Smoking”: meeting with the creators of the popular video project, Ales Kirkievich and Nastassia Sukhanosik (Białystok, Poland).
11:40–12:20 — “Poetic Reflections”: creative meeting with Andrei Stepaniuk (Białystok, Poland).
12:20–13:00 — Creative meeting with Hanna Kandratsyuk and presentation of her book Only Out of Love (Belarusian Cultural Center in Białystok, 2025). Moderated by Tsikhan Charnia-kievich.
13:00–13:40 — Presentation of Pavel Kapansky’s poetry collection Apart From.13:40–14:30 — Poetry readings by Uladzimir Nyaklyayev and presentation of the collection The Book of Fates (KEW, 2025).
14:30–15:10 — Ihar Kulikou presents his poetry book A Distance That Is Not of This Place.
15:10–16:00 — Epic, philosophy, classical poetry: new editions in new translations. Presentation with translators.
16:00–17:00 — New releases from hochroth Minsk and presentations of poetry books by Hanna Yankuta (A Reliable Remedy Against Ghosts) and Fryda Samotny (Celebration of Life). Moderator: Dzmitry Strotsev.
17:00–17:40 — Creative meeting with Olena Stepanenko (Bucha, Ukraine).
17:40–18:20 — Creative meeting with Nasta Kudasava. Presentation of her selected works Lyrics.
18:20–19:00 — Meeting with poet Anna Yulian Mendlik (Berlin, Germany) and presentation of her book Pandora’s Playbox (Skaryna Press, 2026). Moderated by Hanna Yankuta.
19:00–19:40 — Burning Candles by Bella Chagall: memoir or poem? Lecture and discussion around the Belarusian translation.
19:40–20:20 — Preview presentation of the anthology of contemporary Belarusian literature in Norwegian, Time Within Us. With the anthology’s authors, translator, and co-editor Maryna Hobbell.
20:20–22:00 — Poetry battle of graduates and students of the School of Young Writers. Moderated by Andrei Khadanovich.
