The second international residency was in partnership with Poet in the City, a UK poetry charity, and saw Akerke Mussabekova, a promising young Kazakh poet, travel to Canada in January to spend time in Vancouver's literary community.
Read more about Akerke's residency in her Blog
Akerke's round-up blog – June 2009
My stay has already finished. I spent 4 months abroad of my country. It's a great change to experience the Western lifestyle and begin to share my life with new people. Before going to Canada they were complete strangers but now they are my friends and my family.
There in Vancouver I had an opportunity not only to study English and try life in Canada, but I also began to see changes in my creative work. For the first time in my writing life I created a poem directly in English. And I should say that it was very exciting the first time I felt my inspiration coming as thoughts in English, and it was even more exciting to find that
the words of the poem came out in English. It was such a great experience and I really want to keep working at writing in English.
Collaboration with the poet John Asfour also helped me a lot. John is writer in residence at Historic Joy Kogawa House, the group that has co-hosted my visit to Vancouver, along with the Vancouver International Writers' Festival. John's advice and opinions were very important and helpful, and this new way of creating my poetry gave me a lot of positive energy.
My studies in Simon Fraser University's English language and culture program were also very interesting. Saying good-bye, many of us told each other that the times we had shared would leave a big and important trace on each of our lives.
Canada is wonderful country. Sometimes I remember those times when I was thinking that over the ocean is a place that attracts me, that calls me from a far. Now I know that place is Canada. I will always remember that I have a part of my soul there, that I have one more family and one more life there.
As a part of the exchange program Poet in the City sponsored by HSBC Bank, I'm really happy and grateful to all people who took part in organization of the whole project. I think that this experience in my life was the best according to different parts of my life. And the most of all it was a great direction in my poetry. I loved English language and this trip made me feel it with all my being and work.
Akerke, a 21 year old literary student currently studying at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty, has written a wide portfolio of poetry and has an extensive knowledge and appreciation of Kazakh, Russian and English literature.
Speaking of the exchange Akerke said; "I first began writing poetry when I was just eleven years old and have always loved to write. This residency gave me a chance to progress my writing career on an international level."
The selection panel consisting of the Canadian Ambassador of Kazakhstan and representatives from HSBC Bank Kazakhstan, the Goethe Institute in Almaty, Poet in the City and the British Council were unanimous in their decision to select Akerke for the residency position. They were particularly impressed by Akerke's enthusiasm for developing cross-cultural relationships and understanding through her poetry.
©Zhong Chen
Whilst in Canada she was hosted within the Vancouver International Writers' Festival community and had the opportunity to meet local writers and poets.
Akerke continued; "I am very proud of my culture and think Kazakh poetry is particularly beautiful. I look forward to sharing it with Canadian writers and poets and hope I may be able to use my skills during my stay to translate Canadian poetry into the rich Kazakh language."
Pascale Petit, a renowned British poet who has spent time in Kazakhstan commented: "Poetry has deep roots in the country's traditions and is the perfect art form to facilitate cultural understanding between Kazakhstan and Canada. This initiative clearly demonstrates the value of poetry in today's society."
National Poetry Day breakfast
To celebrate the launch of the initiative, HSBC hosted a breakfast at their Group Headquarters in London on 9th October - National Poetry Day. Pascale Petit was guest speaker at the event and gave a recital of her work that was inspired by her experiences in Kazakhstan.
An eclectic mix of intrigued City workers, avid poetry enthusiasts and arts media attended the event and enjoyed a cultural start to the day at the bank's Canary Wharf offices.
To read English versions of Akerke's poetry click here
To read Akerke's latest poetry click here
To read samples of Pascale Petit's work click here
