The performance 'Dream Patrols'

On december 7th the performance 'Dream Patrols' took place.
This was in cooperation of 'Mot Pour Mot Marseille'.

Theatrical, musical and choreographic adaptation of the poems of Ronny Someck, in resonance with Hagit Grossman, Mahmoud Darwich, Marwan Mahul, Prévert , Alain Serres, Daniel Maximin… In French, English, Hebrew and Arabic addressing the issue of "living together"

It took place on the 7/12 in 'Bet Hagefen Theatre' in Haifa, as part of the Holiday of Holidays Festival.

The participations were:
Poet - Ronny Someck
Performers - Pascale Goëta (actress from Marseille), Rabie Khoury (Arabic actor)
Dancer/choreographer - Yankalle Filtser
Sound director - Fred Gremeaux
Photography - Maya Shoham, Alain Chevallier
Director - Clara Barbuscia

More information > here

Ronny Someck visited Mexico and New York

Ronny Someck visited Mexico for the presentation of a new book 'Yo la amo y que el mundo arda' and the opening of the exhibition 'Mas que mil palabras...' (= More than a thousand words...).
The opening was on October 18th.

Ronny Someck in New York

After Mexico he visited New York for among other things to visit an exhibition about the Banana made by Andy Warhol and a Poetry Slam at Silvana Harlem New York.

Ronny Someck visited Paris

Ronny Someck visited Paris to promote his French book 'Le piano ardent'.

On friday 14 september he was guest at 'La Maison de la Poésie' and on saturday he performed together with the jazz pianist Thierry Eliez.

New exhibition Text Tailor, Azul Art Gallery, Tel Aviv

Ronny Someck takes part in the exhibition 'Text Tailor' with the poem 'A tribute to the magazine Burda' in the Azul Art Gallery in Tel Aviv.
Read the event info > here

Poème d'éloge au journal de mode 'Burda'

Je suis fils de couturière, et quand j'étais enfant je prenais
un cyprès à une aiguille verte
un trou à la terre défaite
et la tempête marine à un noeud frappant les vagues
avec le bleu d'une bobine de fils.
A la fin de chaque jour mon père enroulait le mètre à mesurer
qui se tordait comme un serpent sur le fauteuil,
et je caressais avec un aimant le visage soyeux du tapis,
pour redresser les aiguilles noyées entre les poils

Ma mère naviguait vers des pays dont les frontières étaient les lignes pointillées
des pages à découper dans le journal de mode « Burda »
elle rêvait de remplir de paillettes la robe de soirée de
Grace Kelly, la princesse de Monaco.
Elle ne le l'avouera pas, mais moi qui me piquais le bout des doigts
avant que j'apprenne à coudre des boutons de rêve sur mes chemises de jours,
je peux en témoigner

Ronny Someck visited the Poetry Festival of Genoa Italy

Ronny Someck was one of the poets of the 24th Festival Internazionale di Poesia at Genoa Italy 1-18 June 2018.

See some pictures here
Read the complete program > here

New exhibition 'Hall of Fame' in Marseille, France

A new exhibition of Ronny Someck at the 'Maison Blanche, 150 Boulevard Paul Claudel, Marseille, France. The exhibition is called 'Hall of Fame' and you will see 50 portraits made by him.

The vernissage is on thursday June 7th 2018 at 18:30 hours.
Read the program > here

Marseille mon amour

Marseille est une chatte des rues
caressée par la main des montagnes
qui l’encerclent.
Réflexion faite : la montagne n’a pas de mains,
ni Marseille de fourrure,
et malgré tout il est si facile de gémir pour elle
un poème d’amour.

Ronny Someck
Traduit par Michel Eckhard Elial

a wall at the exhibition

Ronny Someck choose jasmine for Roots Liquor

This year, in honor of Israel’s 70th anniversary, Milk & Honey (M & H) Distillery, Israel’s first whisky distillery, decided to incorporate the story of their distillery into a larger, broader, and more complete context - The story of what it means to be Israeli.

It is only natural for them to celebrate with a new creation – a spirit that symbolizes the essence of authenticity, aroma, flavor, distinction, and similarity that are so deeply enrooted in the Israeli existence.

They contacted seven people from diverse cultural and professional fields, individuals who are revolutionary, creative, daring entrepreneurs, and asked them to choose a unique herb, root or spice that represents the essence of Israel to them.
Each of these individuals’ personal and professional paths represents something of the roots that outline their shared journey.
Together, their choices created a complete, unique blend specially prepared at their distillery – Roots Liquor, based on their New Make product.

Ronny Someck was one of the seven and he choose jasmine..

Ronny Someck:
“Jasmine is the aromatic bridge between Baghdad (my city of origin) and the country where I live.”

Read the prospectus > here
Read more on their site > here

Ronny Someck visited Palma, the Balearic Islands
XX Festival de poesia de la Mediterrània 10-15 april 2018

Ronny Someck was one of the poets of the XX Festival de poesia de la Mediterrània in Palma, the Balearic Islands (Spain).

See, hear and read some impressions here.

New exhibition 'My Hebrew Hall of Fame'

A new exhibition of Ronny Someck at the "Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Center" in" Tel Aviv University". It is called 'My Hebrew Hall of Fame'.

See some pictures of the opening.

Opening Ronny Someck's exhibition 'Hang ’em High

On March 8th was the opening of Ronny Someck's exhibition 'Hang ’em High - 24 Poets, Writers and Philosophers hanging on one wall'.

See some pictures here.

You can see the exhibition at the Zemack Contemporary Art, 68 Hey B-yiar Street, Tel Aviv (Hamedina Sq.) until april 8th.

Opening Hours: Sun.-Thur. 09:30-20:00, Fri. 09:30-15:00 info@zcagallery.com
www.zcagallery.com
Tel +972-3-6915060

Petit Beurre

En face du vieux bâtiment de l’usine Lu à Nantes
Où a été fabriqué pour la première fois le Petit Beurre,
je fais renaître la tante Marcelle,
élève de l’Ecole de l’Alliance à Bagdad,
qui a voulu avec ces biscuits
Imprimer le goût de la France
aux cascades de lait et de thé anglais
qui coulaient à flots dans la gorge de mon père.
Je ne me souviens pas ce qu’elle comprenait de la poésie,
mais après de nombreuses années, elle réussit, à son insu,
à planter dans les lobes de mon cerveau les « Fleurs du Mal » de Baudelaire
et à les parsemer de la rouille des feuilles mortes du poème de Jacques Prévert.
« Prends, me dit-elle, en remplissant ma poche, et sens
dans chaque bouchée le beurre français ».
« Prends, je lui dis maintenant, et imagine-moi à l’endroit
bourré de sacs de farine, de mottes de beurre et des fours qui se paraient
de cheminées, sur lesquelles tu aurais pu mettre en vitrine
la blancheur de ton front
et tes joues pourpres,
le ruban bleu qui courait dans tes cheveux,
et sentir, comme dans le poème d’Apollinaire,
que tu es, pour un instant, le drapeau français ».

Traduit par Michel Eckhard Elial

Ronny Someck visited Nantes, France
Festival Atlantide 15 - 18 february 2018

See some pictures here.

Read the program > here

Ronny Someck visited Brussels Belgium
5 - 9 february 2018

See some pictures here.

Read the program > here

New exhibition

On 7 february 2018 a new exhibition of art from Ronny Someck was openend in Le Chant Des Rues gallery in Brussels. The curators are Isabelle Leclah and Rachid Barghouti, and the name of the exhibition is 'Jacques Brel and friends'.

You can visit the exhibition until 23 march 2018.

Ronny Someck at the Feria Internacional Del Libro de Guadalajara, Mexico

Ronny Someck visited the Feria Internacional Del Libro de Guadalajara, Mexico, 25 november - 3 december 2017.

Here are some pictures.

Read an interview in Spanish with Ronny Someck > here
and another one also in Spanish > here

Les Entrelacs d’Aymen Hacen: Ronny Someck, Abou Algérie!

In his program 'Les Entrelacs d'Aymen Hacen' Aymen Hacen talks about Ronny Someck and his poem 'Algérie' (='Algeria').

Hear the program > here

Algeria

If I had another daughter
I'd call her Algeria,
and you would doff your colonial hats to me
and call me "Abu Algeria."
In the morning, when she opened her chocolate eyes
I would say: "Now Africa is waking up,"
and she would caress the blonde on her sister's head
certain that she had rediscovered gold.
The grains on the seashore would be her sandbox
and in the footprints of the French who fled from there
she would hide the dates that dropped from the trees.
"Algeria," I would clasp the railing of the balcony and call to her:
"Algeria, come home, and see how I'm painting the eastern wall
with the brush of the Sun."

Translation: Vivian Eden

Voix Vives Festival, festival de poesia Toledo 1-3 september 2017

Ronny Someck was one of the poets of the poetryfestival 'Voix Vives, de Mediterraneo en Mediterraneo' which took place in Toledo, Spain from 1 till 3 september 2017.

See some pictures here.

Read the complete program > here

Voix Vives Festival de Poésie Sète 21-29 July 2017

Ronny Someck was one of the hundred poets of the poetryfestival 'Voix Vives, de Méditerranée en Méditerranée' which took place in Sète, France from 21 till 29 july 2017.

See some pictures here.

Read the complete program > here

Ronny Someck at the festival ‘The Banquet’ at Mishkenot Sha’ananim Jerusalem

From 16 may until 19 may ther was at Mishkenot Sha’ananim 'The Banquet', a literary and culinary festival.

Ronny Someck participated on may 19 in the program 'Who Wants Strawberries? Food and Love in Poetry'.
The best poets of Israel and the world have always intertwined food and love in their poetry. This magical morning event was led by Nissim Calderon, who talked to Anat Einhar, Ronny Someck and Eran Tzur about the passion and sensuality that simmer on a low flame and between the lines. The event was accompanied by Ola Schur-Selektar with readings and singnig.
Ronny Someck's contrubution was the recipe 'Madeleine cookies according to Herma's recipe'.
Read the recipe > here

The Banquet is a unique literary festival that brings poetry, food, magic, wine, love, and poison to center stage for four days of vibrant and stimulating experiences at Mishkenot Sha’ananim. It will include poetic tasting events, performances, music, theater and workshops.

Read Ronny Someck's recipe for Madeleine cookies > here
It is a tribute to Marcel Proust. This is the poem Ronny Someck wrote for him:

A Letter to Marcel Proust

The clock you
Hung in the foundry
Of time
Stopped at the moment
You ceased being
A soldier in the army
Of the wound.
Nothing is lost
If the words you describe the madelaine
Is still a mouthful.

Ronny Someck in French magazine 'Telerama'

French magazine 'Telerama' choose Ronny Soemck's poem 'Bliss' as poem of the week.

Nous sommes posés sur le gâteau
comme des figurines de mariés,
quand le couteau tranchera
essayons de rester sur la même tranche.

Translation: Michel Eckhard Elial

Bliss

We are placed on a wedding cake
like the two dolls, bride and groom.
Wwhen the knife strikes
We’ll try to stay on the same slice.

Translation: Yair Mazor

Ronny Someck at the Jewish-Arabic festival 'Esther en Sheherazade', Molenbeek, Belgium

From the 9-15 march 2017 the first jewisch-arabic festival 'Esther en Sheherazade' took place at Molenbeek near Brussels Belgium. The Festval was organized by the 'Collectif d'accord de ne pas être d'accord' (Agree to desagree).
On saturday march 11th Ronny Someck and his arabic friend Salah al Hamdani, both born in Bagdad in the same year, were the mainguests at the program 'Van Bagdad tot Jeruzalem' (from Bagdad to Jerusalem).

But first there were workshops how to make bread with the title: 'Le pain des poètes/Het brood van de dichters' (the bread of the poets).
Liora Someck, Ronny's wife, showed the Belgian interested people how to make Pita Bread.

Read an interview in magazin Bruzz 21-03-2017 (in Dutch) > here

Ronny Someck received a college prestige

Ronny Someck received a college prestige like Honorary degree of the Arab Academic College for Education in Israel in Haifa.

Here are some pictures of the ceremony.

Ronny Someck at the festival ‘Nuit de la Poésie’ in Paris

From saturday 12 november 19 h until the next morning at 7h57 there was in Paris the first 'Nuit de la Poésie'.

At 21h and at 6h15 the program was called 'Parfums et Poésie', about the book Bagdad / Jérusalem (publisher Bruno Doucey) of Salah Al Hamdani et Ronny Someck.

Read the program > here

Institut du monde arabe
1 Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard
75005 Paris

12 - 13 november 2016

Ronny Someck at the festival ‘Lettres d’Israël 2016’ in Paris

Ronny Someck was one of the poets of the festival ‘Lettres d’Israël’ 6-29 september in Paris.

He read on thursday 29th september 19:00 at the Maison de la Poésie, Passage Molière 157, rue Saint-Martin, 75 003 Paris.

He was joined by the poets Salah Al Hamdani and Michel Eckhard Elial and the event was called: Ronny Someck, Poésie en partage.

Maison de la Poésie
Passage Molière
157 rue Saint-Martin
75003 Paris
Métro: Rambuteau – RER : Châtelet-Les Halles – Bus : 29, 38, 47, 75

All the information about the festival Lettres d’Israël > here

Le baiser de la poésie

Also at the same event 'Le baiser de la poésie, 24 poèmes d’amour de Yehuda Amichaï et Ronny Someck' (='The Kiss of Poetry, 24 love poems of Yehuda Amichaï et Ronny Someck') was presented.
The poems are chozen and translated by Michel Eckhard Elial.
The publisher is Editions Levant.
See the flyer > here
See and hear the complete reading > here

La Bohème

Je m'en allais, les poings dans mes poches crevées;
Mon paletot aussi devenait idéal;
J'allais sous le ciel, Muse ! et j'étais ton féal;
Oh ! là là ! que d'amours splendides j'ai rêvées!

Mon unique culotte avait un large trou.
- Petit-Poucet rêveur, j'égrenais dans ma course
Des rimes. Mon auberge était à la Grande Ourse.
- Mes étoiles au ciel avaient un doux frou-frou

Et je les écoutais, assis au bord des routes,
Ces bons soirs de septembre où je sentais des gouttes
De rosée à mon front, comme un vin de vigueur;

Où, rimant au milieu des ombres fantastiques,
Comme des lyres, je tirais les élastiques
De mes souliers blessés, un pied près de mon coeur!

Arthur Rimbaud

September 7st 2016

Ronny Someck at the Poetry Festival Meridian Czernowitz 2016

Ronny Someck was one of the poets of the VII International Poetry Festival Meridian Czernowitz 2016 Ukraine, 9-11 september.

In Czernowitz read 30 poets from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Israël, Rumania, England and the Ukraine.

One of the main themes of the festival was the tragedy of Babi Jar, 75 years ago.

Read the program > here

July 21st 2016

Ronny Someck about Mahmoud Darwish

Israeli Ministers Miri Regev and Avigdor Liberman have attacked Army Radio over a broadcast featuring Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, even though his poetry is taught in Israeli schools.

Read Ronny Someck's reaction on the internetsite of 'Al Monitor the pulse of the Middle East' > here

Palestinian poet and journalist Mahmoud Darwish gestures during Carthage Theater Days in a Tunis theater, Dec. 6, 2007. (photo by FETHI BELAID/AFP/Getty Images)

On the first of June Ronny Someck visited Budapest, Hungary for the launch of an Israeli-Hungarian Anthology in the Müpa Theatre Budapest (Palace of Arts).
The anthology is called 'The Thirst Epidemic' containing forty contemporary Israeli poets.

The evening was in the presence of Ronny Someck and Salman Masalha, whose works are also included in the anthology. Both read some poems and the translations were read by the Hungarian actors Hegyi Barbara and Hegedüs D. Géza.

The anthology is compiled by Rami Saari and the poems are translated from Hebrew into Hungarian by Uri Asaf and Marno János.

May 16st 2016

Ronny Someck visited Turin

Ronny Someck visited the International Book Fair in Turin, the 29th ‘Salone Internazionale del Libro’ in Torino, Italy 12-16 May 2016.

On the 12th and 13 th of May he gave some readings.

Read two interviews with him (in Italian):

DD 68 mag 2016 > here
Pagine Ebraiche 05 2016, page 9 > here

March 24st 2016

Johan Cruyff (1947 - 2016)

Ronny Someck is a wellknown admirer of the Dutch soccer team.
Today their best player ever and maybe of the world, Johan Cruyff, died at the age of 68.

See Ronny Someck's tribute to Johan Cruyff > here

Ronny Someck with his Dutch footballshirt

November 24st 2015

Out now! Ronny Someck's latest book in the USA 'The Milk Underground' (The Cliff Becker Book Prize in Translation)

The 'Cliff Becker Book Prize in Translation' is a prize of $1,000 and publication by White Pine Press will be given annually for a book of poetry translated into English.

This year the winner is 'The Milk Underground' poems from Ronny Someck, translated by Hana Inbar and Robert Manaster.

roduct Details
Series: The Cliff Becker Book Prize in Translation (Book 3)
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: White Pine Press; Tra edition (September 15, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1935210726
ISBN-13: 978-1935210726
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
Paperback: $16.00

Read the review by Jen Hinst-White on the internetsite of Image! Arts & Faith > here
Read the review of the ajl (Association of Jewish Libraries) > here

Read an interview with the two translators > here

"The Milk Underground possesses the clarity we associate with the films that shape our lives. He is the auteur of angst, the director of a cast of characters destined to haunt our dreams, the one who knows best how to frame his, and our, experience. Someck is one of the most inventive poets around." — Christopher Merrill, Necessites

"In poetic language that is both conversational and lyrical, Inbar and Manaster masterfully and seamlessly translate Someck's wide-ranging, horrified and loving vision." — Aliki Barnstone

'Carta a Fernando Pessoa'

November 9st 2015

Ronny Someck visited Brazil

Ronny Someck visited Brazil to participate in various events in São Paulo, Rio and Porto Alegre, to promote his new book of poems in Portuguese, 'Carta a Fernando Pessoa' ('Letter to Fernando Pessoa').

In Sao Paulo, Someck participated in a reading in the House Guilherme de Almeida, on 31th of October, with his translator Moacir Amâncio.
On the 1st of November he visited the Library Culture in the National Assembly and on day 3 he was at the University of São Paulo.
Then he went to Rio, where he attended Flupp Literary Festival of Peripheries at the Complexo Babilônia/Chapéu Mangueirain in Leme, Rio de Janeiro.
At least on the last day of his visit to Brazil, he launched his new book 'Carta a Fernando Pessoa' at the International Book Fair of Porto Alegre.

Read an article about Ronny Someck in Portuguese > here

Read an interview with Ronny Someck in Portuguese > here

October 18st 2015

Ronny Someck made a placemat

Ronny Someck made a placemat for a café restaurant in Jerusalem called 'Tmol Shilshom'. All the paintings and the poems are from Ronny Someck.

See the placemat > here

Visit the internetsite of 'Tmol Shilshom' > here

See a film on Youtube about 'Tmol Shilshom' > here

Deux Enfants de Bagdad

On september 9th Les Arènes at Paris will publish a book with poems of Ronny Someck and Salah Al Hamdani called 'Deux Enfants de Bagdad' (Two Children of Bagdad).

Ronny Someck est un poète juif israélien né en 1951 à Bagdad. Il avait un an et demi quand sa famille a quitté l’Irak. Il est un des poètes israéliens les plus renommés.

Salah Al Hamdani est né également en 1951 à Bagdad. Il a quitté l’Irak à son âge d’homme pour la France. Il est aujourd’hui un poète arabe reconnu.

Lorsque Ronny et Salah se sont rencontrés pour la première fois en 2010, ils ont retrouvé leur langue commune: l’arabe et sont tombés dans les bras l’un de l’autre comme deux vieux amis, deux frères.

Ce livre est né de cette rencontre.

L’un est juif, l’autre arabe.
L’un est un lettré, l’autre un autodidacte qui s’est découvert une vocation en prison.
L’un est citoyen d’Israël, l’autre est exilé en France.

Pourtant, ils se sont trouvé plus de ressemblances que de différences.
Ils sont les deux rives du même fleuve.
Ils sont deux enfants de Bagdad.

Gilles Rozier, qui a recueilli et mis en forme les témoignages de Ronny Someck et Salah Al Hamdani, est l’auteur de six romans, dont Un amour sans résistance, traduit en douze langues, et D’un pays sans amour. Il est également traducteur du yiddish, de l’hébreu et chroniqueur littéraire au quotidien israélien Haaretz.

Read the announcement and more information about the book > here

March 24st 2015

Ronny Someck visited Germany

Ronny Someck visited Germany for the ' Die Jüdischen Kulturtage im Rheinland'.
On 22th march there was a reading in Hilden and on the 23th of march in Düsseldorf, both together with his German translator Frank Schablewski.

See and hear Ronny Someck and Frank Schablewski read Someck's poem 'Die Ballade über die Senke des Alkohols' (The Ballad of Alcohol Valley') > here

Poem of Ronny Someck in the magazin 91st Meridian

The poem of Ronny Someck Self-Portrait of the Commando with an illustration by him was published in the internet-magazine 91st Meridian.

Read the magazin > here

Read the poem now:

Self-Portrait of the Commando

To commit the perfect crime first you will need a block of ice. A shard
of it will pierce the victim's jugular vein
and fresh blood will melt away the fingerprints.

Thus violence can turn a page of poetry into the neck of a sentry
the moment before your legs hop the barbed wire fence
and dance in the heart of enemy territory.

At age eighteen I chewed nails,
spit rust.
And it was only because of my poor eyesight that I wasn't allowed in the Navy.
The sea was painted in the beautiful recruitment-officer's eyes,
and motor-boats put-putted onto her lips' shores.
She almost said, "get a camera, and take a picture of your life.
If you ever lose it,
at least you'll still have
a copy."

Translated from the Hebrew by Henry Israeli

Where Baghdad meets Jerusalem

Ronny Someck and Salah Al Hamdani have been interviewed by the newspaper Haaretz for the 27th biennial Jerusalem International Book Fair.

Read the article > here

Ronny Someck has been interviewed by the newspaper Haaretz for the 27th biennial Jerusalem International Book Fair.

Read the article > here

Ronny Someck is one of the 110 poets from all over the world who are in the anthology 'L'insurrection poétique'. Other poets are Ingrid Jonker, Breyten Breytenbach, Jack Hirschman, Max Jacob and many others.
The anthology is established by Christian Poslaniec and Bruno Doucey.
The book is published by Éditions Bruno Doucey.
The language is French.
Read the announcement > here

L'insurrection poétique
manifeste pour vivre ici
256 pages
€ 19,00
ISBN 978-2-36229-078-7

Rain on the Kiosk

By Samih al-Qasim

Sudden rain comes down
across the morning papers.
rain –
and the ink flows
from one language into another.
The mannequin’s face fades from the cover,
the proud athlete with his first trophy.
mascara runs from the actress’s eyes;
the deep crimson oozes; wounds open
on the op-ed page.
The small kiosk closes its door.
Rain
on the late edition.

Translated from Arabic by Nazih Kassis