thesilkroadtoday
On the occasion of Dylan Day, celebrated annually on May 14, poets and artists from across the world came together to honor the enduring legacy of Dylan Thomas—one of the most influential literary voices of the 20th century. Known for his lyrical intensity, musical language, and emotional depth, Thomas continues to inspire contemporary creators across cultures and disciplines. His seminal work Under Milk Wood remains a landmark in modern literature and performance writing.
This year’s global tribute brought together a diverse community of poets and visual artists whose works reflect themes central to Thomas’s legacy: memory, identity, nature, language, and the human condition. Their contributions demonstrate how poetry continues to function as a universal language capable of transcending geography and cultural boundaries.
The initiative was curated and led by Dr. Ana Stjelja, founder and president of the Alia Mundi Association, an international cultural platform dedicated to promoting intercultural dialogue, artistic collaboration, and cultural diversity. Under her leadership, the project brought together poets and artists from around the world in a shared creative space that celebrates both individuality and collective artistic expression.
More than 140 poets, writers, and visual artists from across the globe participated in this international cultural initiative, making it one of the most widely represented tributes to Dylan Thomas in recent years.
Poetry Contributors
The following international poets participated in the tribute:
Caroline Laurent Turunç (France)
Nagla Ali Hasan (Egypt / UAE)
Cao Shui (China)
Ahmed Al-Sheikh (Egypt)
Dragica Ohashi (Japan)
Samaneh Mojaveri (Iran / UAE)
Ferhat Özkaya (Turkey)
Natalia Georgieva Ivanova (Bulgaria)
Natalie Bisso (Germany)
Sheikha A. (UAE)
Barbara Rotta (Italy)
Santosh Bakaya (India)
Taghrid Bou Merhi (Lebanon / Brazil)
Shreya Suraj (India)
Priyanka Neogi (India)
Caroline Gill (UK)
Shilpi Dabral (India)
Afrodite Diamantopoulou (Greece)
Kitty Hsu (Taiwan)
Cinzia Panuccio (Italy)
Bogdana Găgeanu (Romania)
Maki Starfield (Japan)
Maria Sameiro do Barroso (Portugal)
Laskiaf Amortegui (Colombia)
Onfwan Fouad (Algeria)
Ernesto P. Santiago (Philippines)
Abu Zubier (France)
Chara Rizou (Greece)
Yeşim Agaoǧlu (Turkey)
Concetta La Placa (Italy)
Visual Artists
The participating visual artists included:
Nagla Ali Hasan (Egypt / UAE)
Caroline Laurent Turunç (France)
Faeze Mohammed Hassan (UAE)
Sanili Saha (UAE)
Shirley Smothers (USA)
Gianpiero Actis (Italy)
Ahmed Al Awadhi Rukni (UAE)
Gloria Keh (Singapore)
Shilpi Dabral (India)
Leman Bedia Güven (Turkey)
Caroline Gill (UK)
Jesno Jackson (UAE)
Mariam Khawer (UAE)
Shreja Suraj (India)
Lidia Chiarelli (Italy)
Kala Ratn Sonjaye Maurya (India)
Onfwan Fouad (Algeria)
Leena Kewlani (UAE)
Safa Peshimam (UAE)
The diversity of participants reflects the truly global nature of this cultural initiative. Artists from Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas contributed works that engage in a shared artistic dialogue inspired by Dylan Thomas’s poetic universe.
Through painting, poetry, and cross-disciplinary expression, the project reaffirms the continuing relevance of literature in shaping cultural understanding and emotional connection in the contemporary world. In an era marked by fragmentation, such collaborations highlight the power of art to build bridges, preserve memory, and inspire collective imagination across borders.
First published in Enheduana
