The Odesa – UNESCO City of Literature Office continues to introduce Odesa residents to the project “Poetry in Cities of Literature.”
This publication in the series is dedicated to the City of Literature Milan (Italy), thanks to which this project became possible.
The project aims to create a cultural bridge of gratitude and cooperation, deepening understanding of the culture of the Cities of Literature and encouraging a two-way exchange. The initiative seeks to transform support into mutual enrichment, creating an environment for the free exchange of books, ideas, and traditions.
Beyond promoting literary art, the initiative highlights the crucial support UNESCO Cities of Literature provide: from festival invitations and translation assistance to artist residencies. These connections help Ukrainian authors cross borders, find new audiences, and preserve their creative voices on the global stage. At its core, “Poetry in the Cities of Literature” is about mutual cultural enrichment — fostering an open exchange where books, ideas, and traditions travel freely, inspiring and uniting people worldwide.
Poet of the Mlan City of Literature:
Elisa Biagini has published several poetry collections such as “L’Ospite”, (Einaudi, 2004), “Fiato. parole permusica” (D’If, 2006), “NelBosco” (Einaudi, 2007), “The guest in the wood” (Chelsea editions, 2013 — “2014Best Translated Book Award”), “Da unacrepa” (Einaudi, 2014), “The Plant of Dreaming” (Xenos books,2017), “Depuisune fissure” (Cadastre8zero, 2018; Prix Nunc 2018), “Filamenti” (Einaudi, 2020), “Filaments”(Le TaillisPré, 2022), “TRÅDAR” (BökforlagetEdda 2023), “Filaments” (Saldonar, 2024), “L’intravisto” (Einaudi, 2024) and “Ur en spricka” (Lejd, 2025). Her poems have been translated into fifteen languages and she hastranslated several contemporary American poets for reviews, anthologies and complete collections (“NuoviPoetiAmericani” Einaudi, 2006) as well as a selection of Paul Celan’s poems. She teaches Writing at NYUFlorence and is the artistic director of the international poetry festival “VociLontane, VociSorelle”.
“which wing tonite?”
which wing tonite?
I didn’t hear the knocking and now
a shadow is going round
past the membrane of
the curtain a room of its own
here, in the
uninhabited, where rocks
are veined with flesh, here
in the too remembered
The project wascreated by the Odesa UNESCO City of Literature and being implemented with funds raised by Reykjavik City of Literature as part of the readings initiated by Milano City of Literature “Not Just Words” (Reading for Odesa) on February 24, 2024.
