Poetryzine presents “Hera The Light of Women Anthology”
This poetry Anthology features 148 poets from all over the world (mostly women poets) with the intention to put light on the key issues that women are struggling with today, with main focus on bringing back their dignity and advocating for gender equality.
The coordinator of the Anthology Maria do Rosário Loures shared her story about this project:
The founder of Hera the Light of Women, Mrs. Marianela Mirpuri told me about her idea to have a Poetry Anthology and challenged me to write and coordinate the first anthology for Hera the Light of Women. My first feelings where if I should be able to do it and thank her for trusting me. Then doubts came into my spirit, as I was not used, since a long time to write in English (besides Hera’s hymn), and it is not my native language. But suddenly came to my mind that Fernando Pessoa our brilliant master, the poet I love so much had written and published in English. From this moment I did not waste any other second. I accepted it with a happy and great smile.
Once Hera the Light of Women is an international organization with the purpose to promote and support the continuous effort to the development for legal, political and conceptual basis for gender equality, all over the world her first poetry anthology has to reach poets, women and men, of each corner of our planet to show the reader how they see and feel nowadays “The Light of Women” in their lyrical way. You will be surprised and ask yourself “men writing to a women's organization poetry anthology?” Yes, even Simon de Beauvoir wrote „Since I do not think that women are inherently inferior to men, I also do not think that they are inherently superior to men.” That is one of the reasons why I wish to show men’s point of view concerning the Light of Women today.
I have started this work in a very difficult time. Just when the Pest of this century the scientists gave the name of Covid19, we use to call Corona. I started by the editors asking for the contact of some poets I had in mind… No answer! I had no problem to contact Portuguese poets, even the poets living in the diaspora.
Once I had already coordinated two anthologies before. The problem was how to get the direct contact with poets all over the world. I had no contact!
I decided to search them via social network. And as you can see, I have been extremely successful. The Anthology presents poets all generations, from all our continents, of nearly all religions based on the Old Testament, believers of the oldest existing religion in the world, the Hinduism, and believers and followers of the philosophical and spiritual doctrine Buddhism. Who knows, perhaps of some other religions I’m not mentioning here in this phrase?
Hera The Light of Women Anthology presents a poetry, vision to a better world. An African young poetess challenges women to “run the country” the poetess and the ex-president of the republic of Ecuador it’s the real prove women can run the country, women can run the nation. The Deconstruction Master makes an homage to a woman who fight and won again the established system made by the ancient even actual society. A young girl shows us how we can “work” our deepest fears against an illness we had have presented to have in our anatomical body. Another poet shows us a poet can more than just write poems, and that poetry is also a big form of art. Men from countries we, in the west, see against women prove through their poems the humanism, the appreciation to the female been in our world. Poets fight with their words for peace, for a better world, for Hera the light of women. I must thank all the 65 poets and poetesses for their giving to the organization Hera the Light of Women. I also must thank the poetess, mainly woman of fine Arts, Charlotte von Elm to possibility us to present the wonderful book cover You have in front of you. I thank Teresa Duarte Soares, the woman with the responsibility for the rights of Portuguese teachers in Europe and Africa, to have proofread this book too. My Last Word follows: - I’m honoured to may present you the First Anthology of Hera the Light of Women, and to have the Founder of this magnificent Organization, Mrs. Marianela Mirpuri, as my very, very good friend, who make one of my main dreams became reality.
The message of the founder Marianela Mirpuri:
Hera is the most formidable project of the 21st century and will be a cultural leap, born from love for humanity, world peace and the dignity of women worldwide. As a project of education and culture, it was important to have a poetic view from both women and men from all over the world. I have challenged my dear friend maria do rosário lures to co-ordinate this first poetry anthology of Hera and I am very proud of her achievement.
In time of covid, poets globally answered to this challenge and the result is here. In Hera we show the way to a better future for humanity, in a more sustainable world, with more respect and dignity towards the human being and especially towards women through the words of these poets, both women and men, we can read these principles.
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