The Universal within the Local: A Cultural Celebration of Mihai Eminescu in Sydney -

by Anișoara Laura Mustețiu

The Universal within the Local is an upcoming cultural event in Sydney, Australia, presented by Poetry Sydney in collaboration with the Australian Romanian Academy (ACA). The event serves as a tribute to Mihai Eminescu, the 19th-century Romanian poet and writer, recognized as Romania’s national poet. The occasion holds special significance as it aligns with Romania’s National Cultural Day, celebrated annually on January 15th, marking Eminescu’s birthday.

The Australian poets participating in The Universal within the Local event exemplify honor and respect for Romanian culture, showcasing the remarkable interconnectedness of the global literary community. Their engagement with the works of Mihai Eminescu and the celebration of Romania’s National Cultural Day is a testament to their appreciation for the richness and depth of Romanian heritage. By actively participating in an event dedicated to the national poet of Romania, the Australian poets show a commitment to cultural understanding and the acknowledgment of the universal significance of poetry. Their involvement not only fosters cross-cultural dialogue but also highlights the importance of recognizing and embracing the diverse influences that contribute to the global tapestry of literature and art. Through their poetic expressions, the Australian poets contribute to a celebration that transcends geographical boundaries, promoting mutual understanding and respect for the cultural tapestry that binds us all.

Eminescu’s Legacy and Global Influences:

Mihai Eminescu’s poetry, characterized by its romantic themes and profound social reflections, transcends borders, resonating not only with the Romanian people but also leaving a lasting impact on the broader European literary landscape. The Universal within the Local aims to showcase the universality of Eminescu’s works, blending Western European influences with his deep connection to Romanian culture.

The Cultural Bridge:

The collaboration between the cultural group Poetry Sydney and the Australian-Romanian Academy signifies a cultural bridge connecting the antipodean community with Romania. This bridge aims to foster connections, strengthen relations, and provide a unique opportunity for the Sydney community to engage with Romanian culture.

Curatorial Vision:

Daniel Ionita, President of ACA and the curatorial advisor for the event, introduces a contemporary performance-themed “The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Poet.” This theme draws inspiration from Eminescu’s epic poem “The Evening Star – Lucifer” and explores the poet’s isolation in a modern, mechanized world. Daniel Ionita raises thought-provoking questions about the artist’s place in society and how they navigate loneliness, estrangement, and dissociation.

Participants:

The event boasts a diverse lineup of participants, each contributing a unique perspective:

Daniel Ioniță is an Australian poet and translator of Romanian origin. He has had his work published in both his native Romania as well as Australia and the USA. Daniel has been published in bilingual anthologies as a principal translator and editor of volumes such as Testament – 400 Years of Romanian Poetry, a comprehensive collection of Romanian poetry in English from its origins until today. This volume won the most important translation award in Romania, for representing Romanian literature in a foreign language, the Antoaneta Ralian Prize awarded by the International Bookfair Gaudeamus-Bucharest 2019. Other such anthologies include The Bessarabia of My Soul, a representation, also in English, of poets from the Republic of Moldova (for which Daniel was awarded the Poetry Prize of the Literature & Art magazine in the Republic of Moldova – 2018), and Return Ticket from Sydney to Bistrita, A Lyrical Carousel between the Antipodes. His latest collection, Pentimento, has recently been published by Interactive Publications earlier this year. Daniel is the current president of the Australian-Romanian Academy for Culture.

Anisoara Laura Mustetiu was born in Timisoara, Romania. She emigrated to Germany where she studied journalism and German Literature and developed a career in Marketing for two decades. In 2014 she settled in Hornsby, Sydney, where she writes, and produces a cultural radio program (Emotions and Love) for Radio-ProDiaspora, a cultural Romanian station broadcasting in over 100 countries. Anisoara studied Bachelor of Communication, with majors in Creative Writing and Business Communication from Griffith University, Australia. She is editor-in-chief of the cultural Magazine Emotii si Lumina (Emotions and Light).

George Roca was born in Huedin-Cluj in Transylvania (Romania), George Roca settled in Australia in 1982. Before that, he studied and worked in Theatre (in Romania) as well as in the Tourism Industry. He is known as a writer, translator, editor, and publisher. He has been editor-in-chief, as well as editor, of some of the most prestigious Romanian print and online literary and cultural magazines, whether published in Romania, Germany, the USA, or Australia. He also worked for the Australian Council for the Arts and continues to work in publishing.

Angela Stretch is a Sydney based poet, curator, writer, and organiser from Christchurch, New Zealand. The artist uses language and poetry through different mediums and has been exhibited and published nationally, and internationally. She is the director of Poetry Sydney and is the secretary of the Surry Hills Business Partnership, which supports this event. She produces and presents Arts Friday on East Side Radio and is an administrator at the Arts Law Centre of Australia.

Professor Daniel Reynaud was born in 1958 in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. He lectures in history, literature, and media at Avondale University. Interested initially in literature and the media, Daniel Reynaud has specialized in the history of the Australian contribution to the Great War. His works: Celluloid Anzacs, The Man the Anzacs Revered, and Anzac Spirituality, among others – are appreciated by both the specialists and the public. Daniel Reynaud remains involved in the fields of literature and creative arts as a poet and singer-songwriter.

Inna Blomma is a Ukrainian artist. In many of her works, she captures the beauty and complexity of flowers and plants through realistic paintings done in watercolour or acrylics. Physalis is part of a collection of paintings of flowers, which have a special connection to Inna’s home city of Kyiv.

Anne Casey is originally from the west of Ireland and lives in Sydney, she is the author of five poetry collections. A journalist and legal author for 30 years, her work is widely published internationally, ranking in The Irish Times’ Most Read. Anne has won literary awards in Ireland, Australia, the UK, Canada, Hong Kong, Lebanon, India, and the USA, most recently American Writers Review 2021, the iWoman Global Award for Literature, and the Henry Lawson Prize 2022. She received an Australian Government scholarship and a bursary for her PhD in archival poetics at the University of Technology Sydney where she researches and teaches.

Tatiana Bonch-Osmolovskaya was born in Crimea, Ukrainian Soviet Republic of the former Soviet Union. She studied physics at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and philology at Moscow State Humanitarian University, where she earned a PhD in Russian experimental poetry. In 2003, Tatiana moved to Sydney, where she received a PhD degree from UNSW, on contemporary Russian poetry. Tatiana is the author of a great number of publications in Russian, including award-winning collections of short stories and essays. Her poetry and short stories in English appeared in magazines, journals, and anthologies: London Grip, POEM, Rochford Street Review, Can I tell you a secret? Not So Quiet, Skywriters, Across the Russian Wor(l)d, Bridges, Transitions; East-West Literary Forum, Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, and other editions. Tatiana is also a researcher and an editor of the Articulation literary journal (in Russian), and a Board member of PEN Moscow. Tatiana lives and works in Sydney, Australia. In the time of the Russian war against Ukraine, Tatiana totally and completely stands with Ukraine.

Charles Freyberg is a Kings Cross (Sydney) poet and performer. In the 1990s he worked as an actor and director, especially with the surreal clown Victor Sheehan, his first poetic mentor. His writing started with drag shows and performance art staged at Club Bent at the Performance Space in the late 90s and with several plays. He studied poetry at the postgraduate level at the University of Sydney, supervised by Judith Beveridge. His poems have been published in Meanjin, Plumwood Mountain, Urban Village, Sappho, and other anthologies. His two books have been published by Ginninderra Press, Dining at the Edge and the Crumbling Mansion. He performs his work widely around Sydney. He staged a one-person show of the Crumbling Mansion at El Rocco Kings Cross which also toured to Newcastle. He is a founding member of the poetry and music group the Fierce Violets. He gives thanks to all the beautiful enlivening eccentrics who have inspired him.

Dimitra Harvey was born in Sydney to a Greek mother and grew up in Wangal country. She has a Bachelor of Performance Studies from the University of Western Sydney, and a Master of Letters in Creative Writing from the University of Sydney. Her poems have appeared in Southerly, Meanjin, Mascara Literary Review, Cordite, and Philament, as well as anthologies such as The Best Australian Poems 2017, and speculative poetry anthology The Stars Like Sand. In 2012, she won the Australian Society of Authors’s Ray Koppe Young Writer’s Residency.

James Gering James is a poet and short story writer born in South Africa and living in Australia since teen-hood. He calls the Blue Mountains home and takes his inspiration from the surrounding trails, cliffs, and canyons, and the flora and fauna, especially the perky lyre birds of the Federal Pass. He has won various awards for his work including the ASA Poetry Mentorship, 2018. His poetry and fiction have appeared in fifteen journals in Australia and abroad including Meanjin, Cordite, and Rattle. James is currently fine-tuning his collection of narrative poetry for publication, tentatively titled, ‘Aaron Heroically Survives His Jewish Self’.

Lenka Muchova is an award-winning puppeteer of Czech theatre and literary traditions who lives in greater Sydney. Creating the set design, puppets whose characters are real or imaginary, are mostly made of wood and animated using various methods to convey a vision of the world and an educational tool with messages on moral values.

Zaki Duo, is a Sydney-based ensemble that plays an eclectic mix of world, classical, and popular music. Isabel Torbatzaki and Ariel Nurhadi have performed across Sydney and surrounding regions in a wide range of venues and settings including home concerts, weddings, birthday parties, restaurants, and galleries.

The importance of unity among diverse cultures and traditions is significant in the pursuit of global peace and human well-being. In a world marked by increasing interconnectedness, recognizing, and embracing the richness of various cultures is not merely a symbolic gesture but a pragmatic necessity. The collaboration of diverse perspectives, values, and traditions contributes to a collective wisdom that transcends borders and fosters understanding. By cultivating unity, we build bridges that promote dialogue, tolerance, and mutual respect, essential components for peaceful coexistence. Embracing cultural diversity not only enriches the global tapestry but also stimulates creativity, innovation, and the exchange of ideas, creating a harmonious environment conducive to human flourishing. In this shared journey towards unity, the celebration of cultural events such as The Universal within the Local becomes a beacon of hope, reminding us of the common threads that bind humanity and encouraging the continuous pursuit of a world characterized by empathy, cooperation, and lasting peace.

The Universal within the Local promises to be an enriching and diverse cultural celebration, bringing together artists, poets, performers, and thinkers from different backgrounds to pay honour to the Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu. This event not only highlights the timeless relevance of Eminescu’s work but also serves as a testament to the power of cultural exchange and collaboration on a global scale.