The Itinerant Poetry Library

Since May 2006, The Itinerant Poetry Librarian has been travelling the world with a library of ‘Lost & Forgotten’ poetry, installing the library & librarian and archiving the sounds, poems and poetry of the cities, peoples and countries she meets. Welcome to the project's blog . . . Our Itinerant Poetry Librarian lives wherever her library is - come join the cause!

FAQs: • Yes we carry our entire life and the library with us as we go • Yes, it is quite heavy • No, we're not mad. As Charles Simic said, 'But what if poets are not crazy?' That's the spirit boyo!

We exist to: remind people of the importance of free public libraries...subvert mainstream channels of distribution...remind people that access to knowledge should be free and not dependent upon economic wealth hierarchies... show people that poetry/art can provide answers to questions we ask of life...experiment in existing outside of 'the market' – thereby, instead, investing in social capital, social innovation and community.

We aim to make life taste better. Word.

Where have we been . . . ?

(2006) Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Munich, Paris, Barcelona, London, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Norwich, York, Antwerp, (2007-2008) San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Leipzig, (2009) Ulm, Chemnitz, Rotterdam, Huntingdon, Callander, (2010) Cork, St. Andrews . . . Where'd you like us to go? Can you help? Get in touch!

What We Are Up To Right Now . . .

Archive

Tuesday 11 July 2006

In Budapest it rains mainly in the West . . .

. . . not really, but it does rain, and it was raining Buda side when we arrived on Friday night. We recorded the Hungarian rain, have a listen below. Since Friday we have been having a blast, we’ve met and interviewed poets, recorded rain, accordion players, bellydancers and drummers, performed some well-received poetry at the Budapest Bardroom on Sunday night, and installed the library both at the Bardroom and at Treehugger Dan’s, which is where we remain for the rest of the week. We are also doing another poetry reading, tomorrow night from 7pm at Treehugger if you can make it down. Otherwise, please come along, sign up as a member or come and talk to us about poetry. Library members as of 23.33pm, Monday July 10th, 81. Woo hoo Budapest. We love you.

Budapest rain





The first thing we do when we arrive in a new city...flypost!





Where the library is installed all this week, from Monday July 10th through to Friday July 14th from 10am until 7pm. Do we have a dedicated librarian on board . . . ? Yes we do!





How to say Free Poetry Library . . . Would You Like to Join? in Hungarian





What new library members are entitled to when they sign up . . . to bag a free haiku!





Our itinerant librarian at her poetry library office today . . . Monday July 10th




The Poetry Library installed today at Treehugger Dan’s





Everyday we also set out our washing line of poems and a new selection of books . . . yes we are carrying that many . . .





The Poetry Library installed at the Budapest Bardroom where we also performed our poetry reading on Sunday July 9th





Bellydancers we happened across on a Budapest street . . . audio to feature in our Budapest podcast!





A Budapest bar





Where we lived on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night in Budapest





Thanks couchsurfing host Lilla!




The Alibi. Just like in Norwich





One for the ladies . . . Hungarian ones perchance?





An old Budapest street sign sits above the new replacement complete with new name . . .

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