Poets Building Bridges Season Five Episode Two

In this latest edition of Poets Building Bridges, hear the poetry of accomplished poets from all over the world.

On the second Poets Building Bridges event of 2026, hosted by WWBA Writer-in-Residence George Wallace and WWBA Trustee Robert Savino, listen to the poetry of the following poets:

Mónica Zepeda (Mexico, 1987) holds a BA in Literature and Creative Writing. She is the author of Las arrugas de mi infancia (The Wrinkles of My Childhood) and Si miento sobre el abismo – If I Lie About the Abyss (Nueva York Poetry Press, 2024). Some of her work has been translated into five languages, published in twenty countries, and recognized in international awards. She has featured at poetry festivals across Latin America, the United States, and the Caribbean.

Mohsen K. Rahjerdi is an Iranian-American poet who writes poems in English and Farsi. Winner of several literary awards, he has participated/directed different international poetry festivals. Rahjerdi has translated and published post-revolutionary Iranian literature in the form of a two-volume poetry anthology under the title of “Let’s Trust the Sunshine”. A therapist by occupation, he has completed his academic education in educational linguistics and psychology and a PhD in counselling, and is now teaching in Tehran University as an invited professor and working as a therapist in his private clinic.

Andry Christofidou-Antoniadou was born in Limassol, Cyprus. She writes poetry, novels, plays, short stories, essays and carries out literary research. Author of 18 books, she read French and Spanish Philology at the University of London and Educational Psychology and Education at the University of Sorbonne. She also studied at the Universities of Zaragoza, Nice and Montpellier and at the Erfurt Academy of Education. Andry was awarded with the title Doctor Honoris Causa by CIESART Spain in 2025.

Barbara Rabita is an Italian poet whose literary work explores human relationships, emotions, and the complexity of everyday life. She has written the collection of poems «Convergenze» and «EsauDimento» together with the poet Antonio Laneve. She has also written her collection «Poliedri».

Mariam Al Zarooni is an UAE-based poet and writer, a member of the Emirates Writers Union, holds an Advanced Diploma in Jewelry Business Management, and practiced fine arts such as painting and sculpting and participated local art fairs before becoming a full time writer. She has published two poetry collections, a young adult novel and writes a weekly column for the cultural supplement of the Saudi Arabian newspaper, “Al Riyadh”.

Besnik (Bes) Camaj was born near the source of the river White Drini in Peja, Kosovo and lives in Switzerland. He is founder of Association of Albanian Writers in Switzerland. Formerly a full professor of Computer Graphics, his poetry is gathered in 5 volumes, including Blows of a drunken candle/ Fryma e kandilit të dehun", PRINC, Tirana, 2023.

Maria Del Castillo Sucerquia (1997), Barranquilla, Colombia, is a poet, literary translator and promoter. She has won national and international literary awards.

Hussein Habasch is a poet from Afrin, Kurdistan, born in 1970. He currently lives in Bonn, Germany. His poems have been translated into more than 40 languages. His poetry has been published in more than 200 International Poetry Anthologies. He published several poetry collections and won several international awards. He participated in the most important poetry festivals in the world, and in 2025 he was a guest on the "Walking with Whitman" program at the poet's birthplace.

Isilda Nunes is a Portuguese poet, writer, and visual artist whose work has been published internationally and translated into around thirty languages. She has participated in numerous international festivals and anthologies and has received several literary awards and distinctions. She also holds leadership and editorial positions in international cultural organizations, promoting poetry, literature, peace, and intercultural dialogue.

Sriramgokul Chinnasamy lives in Chennai, India and has an M.A. in Creative Writing from Teesside University, UK. He is the author of 'The Selfie Boy and Other Short Stories’, 'Bottled Letters' and 'A Teesside Girl and Other Poems’.

Peter Nyberg Mollung is a poet, literary critic, essayist, editor, translator, and senior lecturer in creative writing at Jönköping University, Sweden. He has published twelve books and nine translations from English into Swedish, primarily of poets from Wales and Ireland.

Lucilla Trapazzo is an Italian-Swiss poet, performer and translator. Her work moves between poetry, performance and sound, across languages, cultures, bodies and histories. She is the author of nine poetry collections and lives between Italy and Switzerland.