thesilkroadtoday
Mexico City, June 28, 2026 – Poetry, culture, and critical thought converge this week as the IX International Poetry Festival “En el Lugar de los Escudos” (In the Place of the Shields) opens its virtual edition from June 28 to July 3, 2026, bringing together distinguished poets and writers from around the world in a celebration of literature and peace.
Broadcast live from Mexico City, the festival presents a rich program of readings, conversations, and reflections under the banner of “Poetry, Culture and Thought” and the evocative theme “In the Face of Uncertainty…”. The event is organized with the participation of Arco & la Flecha Editores, La Isla a Medio Día, and Poetas del Planeta, in association with cultural initiatives dedicated to dialogue and peace.
The festival opens on Sunday, June 28, at 12:00 p.m. (Mexico City time), followed by daily sessions from Monday to Friday at 2:00 p.m. All activities will be streamed live, allowing audiences across continents to participate in this international poetic encounter.
This year’s edition features an outstanding lineup of poets, writers, and cultural figures representing diverse literary traditions and languages.
Among the participants are Noemí Correa Olivé, Pato Mora, Ciela Asad, María Chapp, Nancy Montemurro, Claudio Portiglia, Yiwu Liao, Anna Lombardo, Paolo Agrati, Julio César Pavanetti Gutiérrez, Annabel Villar, Concha Pérez Rojas, Carlos Aganzo, Daisy Zamora, Luís Filipe Sarmento, Ashraf Aboul-Yazid (Ashraf-Dali), Francis Combes, Marcela Sánchez, Alexis Romero, Demétrio Panarotto, Hatif Janabi, and Teresa Kaczorowska, among many others.
Curated by Mexican poet and cultural promoter Álvaro Mata Guillén, the festival reaffirms poetry’s enduring role as a space for dialogue, solidarity, and human understanding. By gathering voices from Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Arab world, the event creates a shared literary territory where words become bridges across cultures and a collective response to the uncertainties of the contemporary world.
The IX International Poetry Festival “En el Lugar de los Escudos” stands as a testament to the belief that poetry remains a powerful instrument of peace, capable of connecting peoples and inspiring hope beyond borders.
