January 29, 2017 · Team HG
Mayor Den Oudsten announced on January 28 in the New Church known that Lilian Zielstra (Stadskanaal, 1991) may call herself City Poet of Groningen for the next two years. She succeeds Kasper Peters, who stepped down yesterday during a festive program featuring performances by writer Jaap Robben, Esmé van den Boom (Poet of the University of Groningen), two children's poets, the Flemish poet Charlotte Van den Broeck, and the rapper Rico.
“Lilian Zielstra writes clear, accessible poetry with humor and unexpected twists. She is a keen observer who looks at everyday reality in a new, playful way. She writes poetry that is not only accessible but certainly also of high literary quality. The jury is convinced that, with her fresh perspective and enthusiasm, she can win over a broad audience.”
Lilian Zielstra, born and raised in Stadskanaal, studied Dutch in Groningen, where she obtained her Master's degree last year. She won the Groningen preliminary round of the national youth writing competition Write Now! twice, was Poet Laureate of the University of Groningen in 2013–2014, teaches Short Story Writing at Usva, and has worked for various literary organizations in the city.
As city poet, Zielstra has clear, realistic plans, the jury found, in which she focuses on both young people and seniors. In addition to the usual “obligations” of a city poet, she wants to be highly visible by playing an active role on social media; with her own website, a Facebook page, a digital calendar, and a blog. Furthermore, she explicitly focuses on a target group that she considers forgotten: the elderly with a youthful spirit. Together with other Groningen poets, she wants to launch a poetry tour of retirement homes in the North, under the project name ‘Dichten met oma’ (Writing Poetry with Grandma).
Candidates could apply for the position of city poet by submitting three of their own poems and a statement of motivation. After a pre-selection based on the application criteria, eight candidate city poets remained. “Eight linguistic artists with their own identity, their own timbre, and their own plans; (…) a varied palette ranging from young, budding poets full of ambition to experienced poets with a substantial track record and rich experience,” stated the jury, consisting of Margriet van der Waal (University Lecturer in Euroculture), Gijs Lensink (Director of RTV Noord), and Guus Termeer (Board Member of Stichting Literaire Activiteiten Groningen and Jury Chairman).
Lilian Zielstra is the eighth City Poet. Since the Municipality of Groningen established the office in 2002, the honor has successively gone to Bart FM Droog, Ronald Ohlsen, Rense Sinkgraven, Anneke Claus, Stefan Nieuwenhuis, Joost Oomen, and Kasper Peters. The City Poet writes six city poems per year, writes poems for so-called “lonely funerals,” and can also be invited to write an appropriate poem for numerous occasions. As of 2017, the Stichting Literaire Activiteiten Groningen (SLAG) provides guidance to the City Poet on behalf of the Municipality of Groningen.
The Poetry Marathon is a festival by SLAG, and is part of the Poetry Week, which has been celebrated throughout the Netherlands and Flanders since Thursday. For the full program, locations, start times, and any admission fees, visit www.poeziemarathon.nl.
Header photo: via Facebook
