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About PoemaRia

PoemaRia is poetry on the Ría; right where it belongs, where it feels right at home. In 2016 PoemaRia was formed in order to give space to local and International poets to come to Vigo and give us their words. At PoemaRia we believe in poetry, we believe in the power of poetry…
 
It is said that the first cry back in the cave was the first poem, and the mother’s, or indeed the father’s response was the first translation. Since then, since those first poems were sounded, we have all of us been adding a few notes to the eternal poem of our humanity, whether a cry, or deciphering what that cry means. Some add just a note; some whole symphonies, calls to the tribe, epics that lay waste to the land. But we all keep adding to it, getting out of the way of the poem when it wants to be heard. Holding the pen just steady enough for it to find the page.
 
At PoemaRia  we insist on letting as many of you as possible hear that song and follow the songline with us for a while. Whether dance, music, visual art, performance poetry or poetry for the page, we aim to give a space to the exploration of what is poetry.
 
And knowing the work that goes into being a poet and an artist, we insist on paying our artists, on treating them as the professionals they are. We rely on public funding, from the Concello de Vigo, the Deputacion of Pontevedra, and from our collaborators the Centro Camões, the Irish Embassy and the Arts Council of Ireland just to name a few. And thanks to their support, and yours, and some hard work on our part, we can offer a stage for some of the most exciting poets writing today.
 
So remember, open yourself to the poetry, come listen and get involved, and don’t forget to buy the books!

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Who we are

Keith Payne is the Ireland Chair of Poetry Bursary award winner for 2015-2016. His debut collection, Broken Hill (Lapwing, Belfast), was followed by Six Galician Poets (Arc Publications, UK) and Museums, Rooms and Trees (Gobierno de La Rioja). Forthcoming from Francis Boutle Publishers is Diary of Crosses Green, poems by Martín Veiga in English translation by Keith Payne. A regular contributor to journals such as The Irish Times, Dublin Review of Books, and Modern Poetry in Translation, Keith has represented Ireland at festivals throughout the world and has been invited to lecture on contemporary Irish poetry at Universities in Spain and Mexico. Keith shares his time between Dublin and Vigo where he lives with the musician Su Garrido Pombo.

Patricia Sánchez is mother to Lucas and Matilda. Before they were born, she received her PhD in European Communication having graduated with a degree in Humanities. She has been working for International organisations for over thirteen years, consistently involved in the promotion of arts and letters, particularly in the visibility of the creative work of women. She has been published in various publications, anthologies and literary projects. She was awarded the prize New Voices – XXIII Selection from Torremozas Books and her poetry collection Oceanografía won the accésit prize “XV Francisco Añon Poetry Prize,” and was published by the City Council of Outes. She combines photography and the word in her work, and has held various exhibitions in locations such as the Spanish Cultural Centre in Buenos Aires, Mercadot and in press such as The Guardian or Condé Nast Traveller. She is Vice President of the non-profit organization, Proyecto Ewa that promotes poetry and art through artistic interventions in public spaces.