Writing residency in Italy (1st edition)
From September 1 to October 1, 2022, authors Kimberley Ann Surin and stephanie roberts took part in the first edition of the writing residency Espace de la diversité – Dentro la Terra (Abruzzo, Italy.)
The residents
Based in Montreal, Kimberley Ann Surin is a Canadian director and screenwriter of Haitian origin. Graduating from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Media Studies, Film and Television in 2016, over the years she has had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects ranging from fiction to documentary, advertising to reality TV as well as animation. In 2021, she directed, wrote and produced her second short film, Nourrir les Rêves, which premiered at the HotDocs International Festival. Through her creative work, she seeks to highlight the voices of marginalized and underrepresented black talent, both in front of and behind the camera. Kimberley Ann is currently writing her first feature film, Un lion tranquille.
stephanie roberts, an Afro-Latin-Quebec writer, published the poetry collection rushes from the river disappointment (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2020), a finalist for the A.M. Klein poetry prize. His critically acclaimed poetry has appeared in POETRY, Arc Poetry Magazine, Event Magazine, Crannóg Magazine (Ireland), Atlanta Review, The Breakbeat Poets: LatiNext (Haymarket Books 2020), and the New York Quarterly. Recipient of a Canada Council grant in 2021, her work won first place in The Sixty-Four: Best Poets of 2018 (Black Mountain Press).
The stay
During their stay, stephanie and Kimberley had the opportunity to discover Abruzzo; attend a concert by the Toscanini Young Orchestra at a castle in Crecchio; meet the mayor, Dott.ssa Catia Benarrivato, the first female mayor in the history of Arielli, the village where the residence takes place; share a dinner with the Dell’Arciprete family at the Dell’Arciprete farm…. They also met Artinvita’s artistic directors: Festival Internazionale degli Abruzzo, Amahi Saraceni and Marco Cicolini, and architect Giovina Scioletti.
Here are a few words and images from their experience:
“This is the first and only writing residency I’ve ever taken part in, and the EDLD-Dentro la Terra residency gave me the opportunity to start each day with a calmer mind.”
– stephanie roberts
“During the residency we each had our own space in our own apartment. We were able to make our own schedule. Since I have a schedule that varies a lot when I’m writing, having the freedom to make my own schedule in my own workspace was very beneficial for me. Nicolas, who is in charge of the residency, was great and very present for us. When we had questions he was there. He’s organized, kind and planned several activities for us. We were also able to meet artists from the village and the festival world. Since I work in film, connecting with people from festivals outside Canada was really a plus.“
“Living in the Italian language is indicative of the work a poet attempts. Poetry is an art of translation, regardless of the original language in which it is written. Poetry tries to articulate the universal in the personal. […] So my conversations in Italian as a foreigner in a small village told the villagers that I was interested in other people’s lives, in who they were and how they felt. The courage to attempt conversation testifies to a desire to transcend isolation, this bringing together of beings is what I hope poetry will do.“
