Iran’s Int’l poetry confab kicks off

Iran’s second International Poetry Conference has kicked off during a ceremony in the capital city of Tehran, hosting literary figures from Iran and around the world.

Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini and deputy Culture Minister for Literature and Poetry Yahya Talebian attended the opening ceremony of the event held in Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on Saturday.

More than 43 poets from about 31 countries have taken part in this year’s conference, which aims to introduce poets from around the world and establish dynamic interactions among them, Mehr News Agency reported.

Several programs have been arranged including poetry recitation sessions to be held at the Iranian Artists Forum, and Tarbiat Modarres and Allameh Tabatabaie universities in Tehran.

The conference will continue in Shiraz on October 11 where the guests will recite their poetry and visit a number of historical sites such as the Hafez tomb, Persepolis and Vakil Bazaar.

Iran’s first International Poetry Conference was held in April 2010 in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz.

The second edition of the event will run until October 21, 2011.