LONG DISTANCE: POEMS FOR YOUR EARS ONLY
Co-creator / Co-producer, One-on-one Poetry Reading, 2024
Long Distance: poems for your ears only was an intimate and immersive poetry experience featured at the StAnza Poetry Festival in St Andrews, Scotland. This unique project transformed poetry into a deeply personal encounter by delivering poems directly to individual listeners over the phone.
Participants of StAnza in Scotland signed up for a time slot and convened to the reading nook where they received a phone call from a Canadian poet. Readings of poems were performed exclusively for them. The initiative emphasized the power of voice, human connection, and the ephemeral nature of live poetry, creating a one-on-one engagement unlike traditional readings.
By removing visual distractions and focusing purely on sound, Long Distance highlighted the personal and emotional resonance of poetry, reinforcing Kotsilidis's and the festival’s commitment to innovative poetic experiences.
Participating Canadian Poets:
Canisia Lubrin
D. M. Bradford
Linda Besner
Moez Surani
Patrick Friesen
Phoebe Wang
Erin Robinsong
Armand Garnet Ruffo
Photos of the reading nook on location at StAnza Poetry Festival in St Andrews, Scotland, courtesy of StAnza Poetry Festival.