In a city known through the centuries as one of the capitals of art and music in Europe, Vienna is preparing to host a special Arab cultural event represented by the second edition of the Arab Poetry Forum in Vienna, which will take place on April 16 and 17, 2026 at the Austrian Arab House for Culture and Arts, with the presence of a select group of Arab poets coming from Europe and the Arab world, in addition to Arab poets and intellectuals residing in Austria.
This poetic gathering, which is quietly making its way towards establishing its place among Arab cultural events in Europe, opens a space for dialogue between multiple poetic experiences and gives Arabic poetry a new opportunity to interact with a diverse audience of members of the Arab community and those interested in Arabic literature in Austria.
Poetry as a Human Encounter
The Arab Poetry Forum in Vienna is not limited to presenting poetic readings; it seeks to create a human and cultural space where poets meet the audience in a shared moment of listening and reflection. In a time when cultural and social transformations are accelerating, Arabic poetry remains one of the most expressive forms capable of capturing the questions of contemporary humanity, whether in the homeland or in exile.
This poetic event gains its uniqueness from the diversity of its participants, as poets from different generations and experiences come together, each carrying their own language and vision of the world, making the forum a real space for exchanging experiences and poetic visions.
Poets from Multiple Countries
This edition of the forum features a number of poets who have come to Vienna from various Arab and European countries, including:
- Jamal Badouma (Morocco / France)
- Zain Shahada (Syria / Netherlands)
- Samira Joudi (Morocco / Morocco)
- Fatima Ghuli (Algeria / France)
- Najwa Ghanem (Palestine / Germany)
- Hatif Bashboush (Iraq / Denmark)
- Huda Diban (Palestine / Netherlands)
- Abdullah Issa (Palestine / Russia) as a guest at the forum
The evenings will also witness a notable presence of several Arab poets residing in Vienna and friends of the Austrian Arab House for Culture and Arts, including:
- Ishraq Mustafa Hamid
- Iyad Hashim
- Jean Babir
- Reem Al-Kasiri
- Talal Murtada
- Mohammad Khair Al-Halabi
- Wiam Fattal
In addition to the poet Lina Jarrar coming from Lower Austria.
Poetry and Music… A Dialogue of Beauty
The forum will feature musical participation from artists Waqid Al-Shoufi and Yasser Al-Sheikh, where music accompanies the poetic evenings to create an artistic space that combines poetic rhythm and musical melody, in an aesthetic experience that transcends the traditional reading of poetry.
The program also includes the establishment of a miniature book fair featuring poetic publications from the participants, allowing attendees to view their literary works and meet the poets directly.
A Poetic Laboratory in the City of Art
Among the notable ideas in this edition is the organization of cultural tours for poets in the city of Vienna, resembling an open poetry workshop inspired by the city itself as a theme for writing. It is expected that the meetings between poets and the city’s spaces—from its historical architecture to its museums and markets—will transform into new texts reflecting the poets’ impressions of Vienna as a city that combines history and modernity.
Continuity of an Arab Cultural Project in Europe
This edition comes after the success of the first edition of the forum, which witnessed wide participation from Arab poets residing in Europe and the Arab world, contributing to establishing the idea of the forum as a cultural platform for Arab poetic dialogue outside the traditional geography of Arab culture.
Amid the voices of poetry, the rhythm of music, and the meetings of poets, it seems that Vienna will once again experience two evenings of Arabic poetry, where the city transforms into an open space for words and a cultural bridge connecting different Arab poetic experiences.
For poetry, in the end, does not recognize geographical boundaries; it always finds its way to the hearts that seek meaning and beauty.