thesilkroadtoday
Mexico City, June 2026 – The IX International Poetry Festival “En el Lugar de los Escudos” (In the Place of the Shields) returns this year from Mexico City as a vibrant international gathering dedicated to poetry, culture, and critical thought. Bringing together poets, artists, and cultural figures from sixteen countries across Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, the festival reaffirms poetry’s enduring role as a space of freedom, dialogue, and human connection.
Guided by the conviction that “a society without poetry is neither free nor democratic; a society without freedom is a society without poetry,” the festival positions itself as an arena for reflection, criticism, and the exchange of ideas. Through poetry and culture, the event seeks to nurture the values that define our common humanity and encourage encounters that transcend borders, languages, and ideologies.
The 2026 edition features participants from Argentina, Egypt, Iraq, Poland, Mexico, Costa Rica, Portugal, France, Italy, Colombia, China, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Spain, Brazil, and Russia. The distinguished lineup includes Argentine poets Patricia Mora, Ciela Asad, Noemí Correa, María Chapp, Nancy Montemurro, and Claudio Portiglia; Nicaraguan poet Daisy Zamora; French poet Francis Combes; Portuguese poet Luís Filipe Sarmento; Chinese poet Liao Yiwu; Colombian photographer Marcela Sánchez; Uruguayan poets Annabel Villar and Julio Pavanetti; Italian poets Paolo Agrati and Anna Lombardo; Russian writer Ilya Vinogradov; Spanish poets Concha Pérez and Carlos Aganzo; Mexican poet César Cortés Vega; Egyptian poet Ashraf Aboul-Yazid; Polish poet Teresa Kaczorowska; Iraqi poet Hatif Janabi; and Brazilian poet Demetrio Panarotto.
Tomorrow, Thursday at 2:00 p.m. (Mexico City time), the spotlight turns to Egyptian poet Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, whose participation brings the voice of contemporary Arabic poetry to this global gathering. Through his reading, audiences will encounter a poetic journey that bridges civilizations, reflecting the enduring spirit of the Silk Road and the power of literature to connect cultures across borders.
The festival is directed by Costa Rican poet Álvaro Mata Guillé, whose vision has shaped the event into an international platform for literary and cultural dialogue. Production is coordinated by Cecilia Belem and Mauricio Vertti of Mexico, whose efforts continue to expand the festival’s reach and impact.
Over the years, En el Lugar de los Escudos has become more than a poetry festival. It has evolved into a symbolic territory where literature serves as a bridge between peoples and where words become instruments of understanding and solidarity. By bringing together voices from diverse cultural traditions, the festival celebrates poetry as an essential human expression and a means of seeking, finding, and rediscovering ourselves and one another.
In a world marked by uncertainty and rapid change, the IX International Poetry Festival “En el Lugar de los Escudos” stands as a powerful reminder that poetry remains a vital force—one that protects freedom, inspires reflection, and creates spaces where humanity can meet in mutual respect and creative exchange.
