3 Romanian Poets

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Though the history of Romanian poetry in the last hundred years can be arguably defined by figures that appear as prophets, or mystics perhaps, and take on the roles of unbounded figures, that in their mystery as much as their work come to represent the romantic idea of Romanian soul or poetic vernacular, there remains a stringent sense of tradition within contemporary poetry circles at large. Romania can be a conservative country politically as well as culturally. Almost inevitably as the globalised world adapts, and the youngest post-Ceaucescu generation gains access to the developments of poetry across the world there will be experimentation and rebellion. In many countries, this would be embraced, absorbed, even ignored. The cadre of younger poets represented here has sprung up in direct opposition to the limits of rhyme and metre, establishing themselves poets in the face of their nation's cultural milieu. They have not been welcomed in doing so, yet their work is unmissably valuable — caustic, cynical, adroit, sharp, they have maintained the dark humour so prevalent under dictatorship but with it they have a voice of anger, of disbelief and of liberation. The three most prominent of these poets, Elena Vladareanu, Adrian Urmanov and Ruxandra Novac, all once part of the literary groupings that grew around the University of Bucharest around the millenium, are presented here to mark the occasion of the first 3am magazine Maintenant series reading, in which London will have a chance to witness the poetic vitality emerging from a new Romania.

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