Poetry around the World

Here is a list of sites that concentrate on the poetry of a particular country, region, etc. These sites are often indices to other internet resources. Other geographically specific sites, such as grant-making or cultural organizations are listed here as well. These sites do not generally present the work of one or a handful of poets, instead, they attempt to represent a cultural milieu.

This is an English-language website based in the United States, so my selections may be skewed . I have concentrated on, but not limited myself to, English-langauge web sites. Necessarily, this format produces a somewhat limited view of World literature. On the other hand, there is a kind of absurdity in having listings for the U.S. and England on this page, as most of the other links on this site are, by tacit assumption, links to American and British websites. For this reason, I have limited the American listings to ones that concentrate on a particular region of the United States; for the listings under England, I have confined myself to sites with a particularly strong sense of their own geography.

Many of these sites are also listed under other categories as appropriate.

U.S. Regions

Appalachia

• Appalachian Writers Association, information on conferences, contests and information about the organization.
• Emory & Henry College Literary Festival, celebrating writers with roots in the Appalachian region.
• A Harvest of Belief: Poetry of Jesse Stuart and Louise McNeill presents the work of these two important Appalachian writers.
• Jim Clark's Homepage contains many links related to Appalachian writing.
• Southern Appalachian Writers Cooperative links to short bios and writings of its members.

Mid-West

• Poetry Menu, a site listing events in Nebraska
• Chicago Poetry features poems by published Chicago area writers, reviews and criticism, a calendar of events, a Chicago area email phonebook for local poets

North East

• The Bowery Poetry Club, a liteary performance space on New York City's Lower East Side. Events virutally daily.
• New York Foundation for the Arts, a large non-profit organization supporting the arts in New York State.
• New York State Council on the Arts , established in 1960. The Council's mission is "to preserve and expand the rich and diverse cultural resources that are the heritage of the people of the State" through the support of nonprofit arts organizations and artists in the State.
• The Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church, an epicenter of many literary movements in New York City. Their site has links, information on membership in the Project, and event listings.
• Spiral Bridge Writers Guild, a group of writers based in New Jersey supporting poetry through readings and communicty outreach.
• Teachers & Writers Online lists events at its T&W Center for Imaginative Writing and a broadcast schedule of its programs on WNYE 91.5 FM. A must-visit site for poets in the NYC area.
• Writers and Books has information about the writing scene in and around Rochester, NY.

South

• Writer's Way, a non-profit group that hosts workshops including ones aimed at community outreach. Based in Washington, D.C.
• Lonzie's Fried Chicken, a journal of Southern poetry and fiction.

South-West

• The Arizona State Poetry Society promotes poetry in the state of Arizona. Non-residents are welcome to join, too.

Canada

• BC Bookworld research tool listing info writers living in or otherwise connected to British Columbia.
• The Writers' Union of Canada, founded in 1921.
• Canadian Poets a comprehensive overview from the University of Toronto.

England

• Farrago Poetry promotes poetry and runs workshops and other activities.
• Lynx: Poetry from Bath, edited by Douglas Clark
• Martin Blyth posts his poems here and does considerable work to promote British Poetry.
• Poetry London guide to events in London, UK.
• The Poetry Society established in 1909 and now one of Britain's most dynamic arts organisations. Features poets and poetry in the news, extensive education resources, current activities by the Poetry Society and Poetry Cafe, excerpts from the latest Poetry Review. Many resources for writers.
• THE SOUTH is a not-for-profit group that aims to support writers, poets and communities in the south of England
• The Southend Poetry Group The Home Page of the The Southend Poetry Group, Essex,England. The Southend Poetry Group Activities include joint meetings with other poetry or writers' groups, occasional public readings, and publication of the annual "Southend Poetry" anthologies.
• Shadowork, a performance and collaboration project with venues in and around London. They also offer workshops.

Ireland

• Abbey Press, Irish Poetry and Prose published out of Newry. Information about the books and authors they publish.
• hardPressed poetry, publisher and distributor of Irish poetry.
• The Irish Poetry Page poems, links to Irish poets.
• Medieval Irish Poetry Page in original Gaelic with literal translation.
• The Strokestown Poetry Prize, awarded for poems in English and Irish. There site has past winners of both languages.
• Wake Forest Press, an American-based non-profit publisher focusing on Irish Poetry

Scotland

• Association for Scottish Literary Studies based at St. Andrews University, publishes annual volumes.
• History of Scottish Literature, edited by novelist and critic Andrew Crumey.
• The Northern Muse a collection of radio scripts by Sheila Douglas for Heartland Radio in Pitlochry
• Northwords On-line: fiction and poetry from the Scottish highlands
• Orkney Arts Review
• Scottish Arts Council funds the contemporary arts. They post a poem of the month.
• Scottish Indie Artspace, based in Glasgow: visual art gallery; issues and events; public art, essays and articles, poetry, theatre, with an emphasis on Scottish arts.
• Scottish Literature at the University of South Carolina, has links and information about exhibits.

Wales

• Annedd y Cynganeddwr, dedicated to the ancient art of cynghanedd. Entirely in Welsh.
• The Arts Council of Wales a grant-making organizations that promotes the arts in Wales.
• Bys A Bawd a bookstore specialising in Welsh and Welsh interest books and videos.
• The Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies is a major international Centre for research in Welsh and Celtic Studies.
• Chasing the Dragon, new writing in English from Wales.
• Cyfwe, a website for Welsh literature in translation.
• Cylch Llên Cymru: the Ring of Welsh Literature: a webring established to support the celebration, publication and promotion of the literature of Wales on the Web.
• llyfrau, in Welsh, reading recommendations.
• Gwenllian's Poetry Primer, an introduction to Welsh poetic forms. Recommended.
• National Year of Reading in Wales, a literacy promotion program.
• The Peter Finch Archive has a comprehensive collection of links. (The main page is here.)
• sampler: poetry now is a non-profit organisation based in Cardiff, South Wales, U.K. dedicated to promoting both experienced and established poets. Samples of work and upcoming events.
• Wales Arts International a collaboration between the British Council in Wales and the Arts Council of Wales to promote Welsh Arts internationally.
• Welsh Books Council in Welsh and English.
• Welsh Literature an introduction, with suggested reading list.
• Welsh Literature Abroad, in Welsh.
• Working Title Writers, a group of poets and artists in Cardiff.
• Yr Academi Gymreig - The Welsh Academy is the national society which exists to promote the writers and the literatures of Wales. In English and Welsh.

Australia & New Zealand

• The Animist, Australian Journal of the Arts.
• Auckland Poetry, an on-line guide to Auckland's live poetry scene.
• A Collective Effort of Australian Visual Poets was an important and dynamic alternative press in Australia during the late 70s and 80s, and still active on a smaller scale today.
• Mangrove a journal of The University of Queensland English Department.
• Car Rental Australia has a little information about Australian literature and very good links. Far and away the best literary page on any car rental site I've seen.
• Tasmanian Poetry Festival, an annual three-day event.

• New Zealand Writers' Website, writers' groups, message board, on-line chat and other services for poets and writers.
• New Zealand Society of Authors an association of writers working together to improve conditions for New Zealand writers.
• Poetry New Zealand, an international print journal of poetry and poetics. Their site offers information on submission and subscription, as well as links to writers' resources.
• Southern Ocean Review New Zealand's first on-line International Literary Magazine.
• Thylazine, Australian Arts and Literature on Landscape and Animals. Dr. Coral Hull, Executive Editor. Their Australian Poets Directory is a good starting point for information on contemporary Australian poets.

France

• Georges Brassens, the complete poems and songs (in French).
• Jean-Michel Maulpoix & Co., presents poetry and criticism in French (including his own). The English language section of his site provides an excellent introduction to the state of French poetry. Highly Recommended.

The Netherlands

• Aanbeelden, a literary magazine.
• De Brakke Hond, a Belgian literary magazine containing fiction, poetry and essays written in Dutch.
• Epiberen, Home-isle of the Dutch Poets from Epibreren. Poetry, audio- and video-recordings, reviews, photos and links. Mostly in Dutch, but with English, German and Danish information and translations.
• ReView_36, a site based in Belgium. Primarily in Flemish.

Italy

• Il Narratore, a site featuring audio recordings of important world literature, and contemporary poetry. The site is in Italian and English. Their links page is a good starting point for Italian literature on the web.

Scandanavia

• Splints & Co. Journal of Scandinavian Poetry on the Web/Tidsskrift med nordisk poesi på Nettet. Mostly in Danish with some English.

Eastern Europe

(includes Russia)

• Poetry of the Balkans. Includes classics and newer poets. Serbo-Croatian and English
• Belarusian Poetry offers Belarusian Poetry in the original language.

• A Workshop with Hungarian Visual Poets, presented by Kaldron and Light & Dust Poets.

• Romanian Voice has a section on poetry available in Romanian, German, Swedish, French, and English.

• The Kids' World, a poetry site by and for children. In English and Serbo-Croatian.
• Poets' Societ IRIS a site featuring links to Serbian poetry and poets. In English and Serbo-Croatian.
• South Slavic Litearture Library showcases work from the Balkan states in their original languages, with some English translations available.

• Selection of 20th century Russian poetry, in English and Russian, presents a few poems and short commentary on some major Russian literary figures
• Mayakovsky and His Circle
• Russian Literature Online
• Also of interest is this site, which presents Lorca's poems in Spanish and Russian.
• Zephyr Press An independent publisher of literary and travel titles focusing on contemporary works of and about Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe

Middle-East, North Africa

• http://www.anonymous-fish.com/, a monthly journal of Hebrew poetry.
• Azza El Wakeel, Egyptian author of two books of Arabic poetry.
• Arabesques International Literary and Cultural Review, in English, French and Arabic, essays on culture, includes a very good on-line journal, Arabesques
• Libyan Arts, Music and Literature, a survey of contemporary Libyan writing. Mostly in Arabic with some English translation.

Africa

South Africa

• Barefoot Press, a web site and press devoted to South African poetry.
• South Africa Online presents this index of poetry sites.
• Southern Rain Poetry, a collection of poetry from South Africa.
• UCT Poetry Web, a comprehensive index of poets and poetry of Capetown and the western Cape. Their index of poetry sites is here, and there index of South African poets is here.

India

• Asian Studies: India, links.
• 123 India Literaure, links, including many to individuals publishing their work on the web in various languages.
• Ee maaTa, an on-line literary magazine in Telegu.
• Gujarati Poetry, site on poets & and their works in Gujarati
• Gujarati Poetry from English poetry, translation of English poetry into Gujarati by Mohamed Rupani
• Indian Literary Resources, links.
• indialit, home of the Webring for Indian Literature.
• Indiaworld Poetry seeks and posts work by both new and established writers.
• IndiaStar Review of Books features book reviews, articles, short fiction, poems, and publishers' press releases
• INDOlink Poetry, poetry in Hindu, Urdu, and English. Also posts poems by Rabindrath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda.
• Kavavyaalaya - The House of Hindi Poetry, in English and Hindu, with downloadable fonts for the latter.
• The Little Magazine, the web version of a print magazine published out of New Delhi.
• The Poetry Scene in India, commentary on the state of contemporary poetry in India.
• Tamil Electronic Library, a valuable resource for studying the literature of this language.
• Urdu Poetry, ghazals and other forms, in the original, with and without translation.

Indian Subcontinent

• Some Great Personalities in the History of Bengali Literature, major litearary figures.
• Bengali Poems, collection of some Bengali poem in Bengali scripts.
• Boipara.com is a site showcasing bengali literature, with an open forum where you can post and critique work.
• Poetry from the Indian Subcontinent has a smattering of poetry spanning several centuries.
• Sawnet Bookshelf, books by South Asian women.
• Nepali Poems taken from a recent copy of Insight, published by the International Nepali Literature Society.