Take a seat at the main reading of poets Kreek Daey Ouwens and Nisrine Mbarki Ben Ayad. This is the moment to get to know both the poetry and the person behind it.
Kreek Daey Ouwens (1942, NLD) made her debut in 1991 and has recently reached a wider audience, receiving multiple awards. In her disarmingly personal poetry, short sentences lay down memories piece by piece, like a colourful mosaic. Her minimalism leaves room for association, while rhythmic repetitions offer a sense of grounding.
Since 2026, Nisrine Mbarki Ben Ayad (1977, NLD) has been the Poet Laureate of the Netherlands. In her work, different languages (Dutch, English, French, Arabic, Darija and Tashelhit) exist side by side and in relation to one another as ways of understanding the world. With an empathetic, investigative gaze, she looks at others and dissects power structures and dominant narratives.
Host Jelle van Riet opens the main reading with a short introductory conversation. After that, both poets will read from their own work, sharing a personal selection of brand-new poems, their response to the festival theme, or a surprising gem from their oeuvre.
