Intercultural Poetry Reading at Kota Nest
Join us for an afternoon of diverse voices and heartfelt verses at the cozy Kota Nest. Experience an in person gathering where Harlem resident, Haitian-American poet Betty Pierre and Finnish-American poet Niina Pollari share their work, followed by an interactive conversation with the audience about their journey. Join us to connect, feel inspired, and enjoy the magic of words in a friendly atmosphere. The authors will bring some of their books for sale.
This event is organized in collaboration with Finland Center Foundation (FCF), the meeting point of Finnish and American culture, commerce and community.
Donations will support the work of both Kota Alliance and FCF and are gratefully accepted.
BIOS:
NIINA POLLARI is the author of two poetry collections. Her second book Path of Totality (Soft Skull) was named one of the best poetry books of 2022 by the New York Times. Her first book, Dead Horse, was published in 2015 by Birds, LLC; her next one, Risk Tolerance, will be out in February 2027 from Autofocus Books.In addition to writing, Pollari also translates contemporary Finnish poetry -- she is the translator of Tytti Heikkinen's poetry collection The Warmth of the Taxidermied Animal and various poems by the poet Teemu Helle.She lives in Marshall, North Carolina with her family. Find out more about her at niinapollari.com.
BETTY PIERRE, is a Haitian American Social Worker, Poet, Activist and Mother. The author of a poetry collection Babel (2007) and contributing writer to the anthology Covid Rebels 21 (2021). Multilingual, she weaves Creole, French and Spanish into her poems sharing with a variety of audiences the depth of her pieces. She received an Editor’s Choice Award from the International Library of Poetry; A recognized Writer’s Digest International book award poet; World of Poetry merit winner for her poem Once the Bountiful after the play A Trip to Bountiful by the American playwright Horton Foote. Her powerful feminist poem Who is Jane? was published in the International Women’s Writing Guild Network Journal.
Betty merges social activism, photography, poetry and art to inspire people about her passions. She has dedicated her life to working with families, women and children, everywhere and focused on issues including: Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking, Sexual Assault, Murdered and Missing Indigenous People, LGBTQ Rights, Social and Civil Justice and Runaway Homeless Youth.
Date: November 23rd
Time: 2pm-4pm
Location: Kota Nest, 43 St Nicholas St