The poet visited Chile in late April and early May of this year. This was Israel’s first cultural visit to Chile since the pandemic and provided an opportunity for face-to-face meetings.
Prize Winning poet Gili Haimovich visited Chile in late April and early May of this year, appearing at the international BioBio poetry festival. Israel and Uruguay were the two honored countries at the festival. Her poems have been translated into thirty languages and have been featured in anthologies, festivals and journals worldwide.
Haimovich’s visit to Chile was Israel’s first cultural visit to Chile since the pandemic and provided an opportunity for face-to-face meetings and cultural reconnection.
Twelve poets participated in the event, which took place at the University of Concepción, the third-oldest university in Chile. Haimovich read selections of her poetry, accompanied by music. She met with local students and discussed Hebrew language and poetry in an online forum that hosted two hundred people.
Other highlights of the event were a dedication of a photo exhibit in the municipal theatre of the Chilean city of Chillan, held in cooperation with the Gonzalo Rojas Foundation, in the presence of the city’s mayor, as well as a meeting with academic officials at the Catholic University of Santiago, in anticipation of future collaboration.
Israeli ambassador to Chile at that time, Marina Rosenberg said: "It was exciting to renew the post-covid cultural activity with the wonderful Israeli poet Gili Chaimovitz. Poetry is a wonderful way to create cultural bridges between countries and peoples."