Smrt Múz

Marie Michlová's novel ("Death of Muses") about the Scottish poet Walter Scott, his family, J.G. Lockhart, James Hogg, Lord Byron, Benjamin Disraeli etc. was published last week. Read it if you can. There is no English translation on the cards yet so I encourage someone with a good head on their shoulders to get it translated from Czech into as many languages as possible, publish it and make a lot of money. It is a one off. The next Wolf Hall. Don't forget to buy the film rights too...

Michlova herself is a Scott geek - I have learned more from her about his life than anyone else in spite of her youth - and such obsession earns her place here: she says "I had been working on [Smrt Múz] for eight years (since I was 15-years-old) and it was not an easy task at all because I wanted to make all my heroes as real as possible, so for example everything what my heroes say in the novel are their authentic quotes (taken from their letters, journals etc.)." btw it's Lockhart's self-portrait on the cover

You can find more about the novel here:  http://www.torst.cz/czech/detail.php?pk=610

Lord Byron tweet poetry

George Gordon Lord Byron (1788-1824) wrote this poem on or shortly before his 36th birthday. He died that same year in Greece.

poetandgeek poetandgeek.com 

My days are in the yellow leaf The flowers and fruits of love are gone The worm the canker and the grief Are mine alone

16 seconds ago Favorite Reply Delete

On this day I completed my thirty-sixth year

T'is time the heart should be unmoved,
Since others it hath ceased to move:
Yet, though I cannot be beloved,
Still let me love!

My days are in the yellow leaf;
The flowers and fruits of love are gone;
The worm, the canker, and the grief
Are mine alone!

The fire that on my bosom preys
Is lone as some volcanic isle;
No torch is kindled at its blaze--
A funeral pile.

The hope, the fear, the jealous care,
The exalted portion of the pain
And power of love, I cannot share,
But wear the chain.

But 'tis not thus--and 'tis not here--
Such thoughts should shake my soul nor now,
Where glory decks the hero's bier,
Or binds his brow.

The sword, the banner, and the field,
Glory and Greece, around me see!
The Spartan, borne upon his shield,
Was not more free.

Awake! (not Greece--she is awake!)
Awake, my spirit! Think through whom
Thy life-blood tracks its parent lake,
And then strike home!

Tread those reviving passions down,
Unworthy manhood!--unto thee
Indifferent should the smile or frown
Of beauty be.

If thou regrett'st thy youth, why live?
The land of honourable death
Is here:--up to the field, and give
Away thy breath!

Seek out--less often sought than found--
A soldier's grave, for thee the best;
Then look around, and choose thy ground,
And take thy rest.

International Istanbul Poetry Festival, Turkey, May 2011

Usually an excellent global line up at this event and if you are lucky you might run into Orhan Pamuk's museum.

International Istanbul Poetry Festival (IIPF) will officially take place on Tuesday, 10th May - Saturday, 14th May 2011 with the participation of 40 poets from 17 countries, and is considered as the biggest international literary event in Turkey. There may still be time left to volunteer - http://www.istanbulsiirfestivali.org/en/gonullu.asp?arsiv=2011.

Poets participating previously (and whose work is celebrated) include • Adonis (Syria) • Ahmet Telli • Alan Jude Moore (Ireland) • Alex Susanna (Catalonia) • Ali Günvar (Turkey) • Anzhelina Polonskaya (Russia) • Arif Ay (Turkey) • Arif Damar • Arjen Duinker (Netherlands) • Astrid Lampe (Hollanda) • Ataol Behramoğlu (Turkey) • Ayşe Sevim (Turkey) • Baki Ayhan T. • Bayırcan Karabeyov • Betül Tarıman (Turkey) • Breyten Breytenbach (South Africa) • Cahit Koytak • Caj Westerberg (Finland) •  Joumana Haddad (Lebanon) • Kemal Eşfak Berki (Turkey) • Kemal Özer • Kerry Shawn Keys (USA) • Kim Haeng-sook (South Korea) • Lasse Söderberg (Sweden) • Leopoldo Castilla (Argentina) • Leyla Şahin • Luis Alberto de Cuenca (Spain) • Luis Garcia Montero (Spain) • Māra Zālīte (Latvia) • Can Bahadır Yüce • Carles Torner (Spain) • Celal Fedai (Turkey) • Egito Gonçalves (Portugal) • Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin (Ireland) • Emilio Coco (Italy) • Enver Ercan • Eray Canberk (Turkey) • Eyvaz Borçallı (Azerbaijan) • Fadhil Al-Azzawi (Iraq) • Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca • Ferida Duraković (Bosnia-Herzegovina) • Francisca Aguirre (Spain) • Frans de Haes (Belgium) • Jean Pierre Balpe (France) • Joachim Sartorius (Germany) • Joan Margarit (Catalonia) • Johannes Poethen (Germany) • Jordi Virallonga (Spain) •

More information: http://www.istanbulsiirfestivali.org/en/index.asp?arsiv=2011.