Poetry fans, sharpen your ears as Bahrain Writers’ Circle (BWC) sets the stage for its annual poetry festival.

The BWC, probably the biggest group of international and local writers in Bahrain, is all set to host the 11th edition of its yearly poetry festival, Colours of Life. The event will be held on April 20, from 7pm to 8.30 pm, at #10 room at the British Club in Um Al Hassam.

The Colours of Life 2024 edition will feature more than 20 poets of various nationalities, including Canadian, Indian, British and more. The theme is in the name, as all poems are attributed to a certain colour. A love poem, for example, could be denoted by the colour red and a poem about a pearl, white, etc. It is also possibly the only poetry festival on the island that includes musical and visual accompaniments.

The event, organised by The Second Circle (a sister group of the BWC), was the brainchild of David Hollywood, who was the founder of both the festival and the poetry circle.

This year’s programme will be led by BWC member, Kaav Ranj, a writer and artist who has performed her poems across the Middle East and India. Having shared the stage with the likes of Javed Akhtar, Gulzar, Sarah Kay and more, she has also taught poetry and performance to more than 200 students across the world since 2020.

“Poetry has a way of bringing the best out of people and, at Colours of Life, we’re lucky to witness performances that take visual art into account as well, leaving us with a show that truly holds space for performers to express themselves,” said Kaav.

The BWC is a volunteer group that was established in 2011 by Robin Barratt, a best-selling author of true crime. It welcomes writers of all levels and aims to create an encouraging environment to nurture creativity, improve their craft and provide an opportunity to network. Its two sub-groups: The Second Circle, a poetry group, and the Creative Writers’ Workshop, which explores the craft of writing, hold monthly virtual meetings on the business of writing and publishing.

Entrance to the festival is free and open to all on a first come, first served basis. ✤

GO: VISIT BWCBH.COM, EMAIL ADMIN@BWCBH.COM OR FOLLOW BAHRAIN WRITERS’ CIRCLE ON FACEBOOK AND @BAHRAINWRITERSCIRCLEBWC ON INSTAGRAM FOR MORE INFORMATION.