By SERGIO COHN*

The BRICS were designed with a tripod formed by economy, national sovereignty and culture, this third point has received little attention within the policies created around the bloc.

1.

Some things seem to be moving beneath the tectonic layers of our world. Geopolitical and cultural shifts are emerging, even if unnoticed by the less attentive. Broad gestures are beginning to re-emerge, after about two decades of a certain social timidity. Since the beginning of this century, major movements, such as the World Social Forum, have not been continued or have been replaced by other proposals.

It is as if the advent of digital technology had given the general impression that encounters would happen naturally, without the need for effort or organization. But now we know that this is not the case: digital technology is a two-way street, it expands the possibilities for contact, but, especially after the dominance of social media algorithms, it tends to radically narrow exchanges and experiences. At the same time that authoritarian governments multiply, the risk of fascism becomes evident, climate collapse looms, and investments in education and culture are becoming scarce or practically extinct, proposals from international associations are beginning to re-emerge to respond to these urgent demands.

Among them, one of the most interesting, precisely because it is located in one of the new geopolitical hubs of the world, is the BRICS Writers' Association. It is a healthy proposal, especially because, although the BRICS were designed with a tripod formed by economy, national sovereignty and culture, this third point has received little attention within the policies created around the bloc. Created on the initiative of the Russian poet Vadim Terekhin, the Association already has representatives from the various countries of the bloc and will hold dozens of events in 2025, including meetings, festivals and publications.

Among them is the BRICS Poetry Review, a quarterly poetry magazine, which will be edited by Sergio Cohn and Marcelo Reis de Mello, Brazil's representatives in BRICSWA. The fact that Brazil is the country chosen to publish the magazine is of great importance, because it places us in a central position in establishing cultural exchanges around the BRICS. The magazine will be published in English, with wide circulation among the countries, and also in local languages ​​– the Portuguese edition has already been confirmed, as well as the Spanish edition.

Each volume will feature interviews with poets and critics, dossiers with essays and anthologies of contemporary poetry from the countries of the bloc, as well as scattered poems, always in a bilingual edition. This is a highly important initiative to strengthen dialogue and create a continued relationship with the poetry of these countries, moving away from the Eurocentrism that characterizes current poetic circulation and expanding horizons.

2.

To present the BRICS Writers Association project, we conducted an interview with its director, Vadim Terekhin, which is presented below.

So far, culture has received the least attention among the three main pillars of BRICS. The creation of the BRICS Writers' Association is an important initiative to reverse this situation and establish a consistent and continuous cultural exchange between the countries of the bloc. How did this proposal come about and which countries are already members of the association?

Vadim Terekhin – Indeed, BRICS is seen primarily as a political and economic union of states, but any economic and business achievements are meaningless if they are not aimed at the benefit of human beings, at their cultural, moral and spiritual development. Therefore, it is impossible to distinguish these spheres of human activity, since they are closely interconnected and support each other.

Ultimately, all economic achievements should not serve personal enrichment, but the creative development of humanity. Only culture and literature, in their highest manifestation, as the bearer of speech, truly constitute humanity. They give it a special meaning.

The creation of the BRICS Writers Association aims to bring our peoples closer together, to recognize the peculiarities of each one, the values ​​that are close to everyone since birth and to take them to all corners of our small planet.

Despite the enormous cultural and information space that devours us every day, despite the fact that with a click of the keyboard we can find ourselves virtually anywhere in the world, we still know very little about our neighbors. 

Only literature, close cooperation and contacts can fill this gap. We have a unique opportunity to expand our spiritual world through the interpenetration of literatures. We should engage in translation, publishing and festival activities. I think these are the three pillars of the BRICS Writers Association!

Currently, its coordinators are Adel Khozam (UAE), Ahmad Al-Shahawi (Egypt), Biplab Majhi (India), Rati Saxena (India), Cao Shui (PRC), Zolani Mkiva (South Africa), Sergio Cohn (Brazil), Marcelo Reis (Brazil), Hamid Nazarhah Alisarai (Adonis Dodestani, Iran), Abdulwhab Aloraid (Saudi Arabia), Vadim Terekhin (Russia), Alemayehu (Ethiopia), Vladimir Gavrilovich (Belarus), Abdullah Issa (Palestine), Sastri Barki (Indonesia), Alex Pausidis (Cuba), Karel Alexei Leyva Ferrer (Cuba), Anwar Radwan (Malaysia), Hosiyat Rustamova (Uzbekistan), Nguyen Quang Thieu (Vietnam).

The Association is already attracting great interest from writers from other countries that are not yet members of BRICS.

In Russia, we cooperate with the BRICS High-Level Expert Council (https://brics-expert.info/culture/), the BRICS International Economic and Financial Forum (https://ifeforumbrics.ru/kazan_2024) and the “Opportunities Platform”Let's Do Good” (https://ifeforumbrics.ru/#rec771071582).

We have letters of support for the initiative from the Ethiopian Writers' Union Association, the Syrian Writers' Union, the Palestinian Writers' Union, the Lebanese Writers' Union, the World Poetry Movement (Colombia), the International Society for Sociocultural Studies (India), the Congress of African Journalists (Egypt), the Brazilian Poetry Reference Center (Brazil), the Gil Kochesfahan Institute of Fine Arts (Iran), the National Coordination of the World Poetry Movement (United Arab Emirates), the International Minangka Literacy Festival and the International Minangka People's Literacy Festival.

The BRICS Writers Association (hereinafter referred to as BRICSWA) represents literature as an essential form of self-expression. 

Literature is humanity's most important form of expression and communication. Literature is an art form and an instrument of social and cultural transformation.

BRICSWA encourages cooperation between writers from all over the world who share their cultural visions and experiences through literature. It envisages close cooperation with the WPM (World Poetry Movement), which has already proven its effectiveness through real work.

BRICSWA advocates for freedom of expression and human rights, which are fundamental to the protection of writers and their work. In an increasingly divided world, literature and the voices of writers create a global bond and promote peace, unity and understanding.

BRICSWA strives to become a planetary organization with headquarters and focal points in all countries, sharing the organization's vision, strengthening the spiritual unity of people and nations in working towards global peace and full freedom of expression.

3.

By 2025, BRICSWA will have a program of physical events within the existing festivals and literary gatherings, as well as new events created by the association itself. How important is the circulation of authors between these countries and how can a public policy be developed for this – common to the bloc or to each government?

Vadim Terekhin – Yes, we have drawn up the main work plan of BRICSWA for 2025. There are 47 activities in total. Of course, the work plan is not a dogma, but a guide to action, and life can make its own adjustments, but it was very important that it appeared. It is interesting that the BRICS Writers’ Association was created not by pressure from above, not by the state will of any country, but by the desire of writers to communicate with each other, that is, creative people!

Of course we would like to count on the support of our countries, as they understand the importance of the work that writers do.

For some reason, both writers and the reading public in Russia have always been oriented towards the West and the United States, almost completely ignoring the great literatures and cultures of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The literary paths of Russian writers in these countries have become excessively closed, and today it is simply necessary to open them again.

The literature of any country can be self-sufficient, but we must still realize that we are part of a huge global process and that by closing ourselves off only in our own linguistic world we lose a lot. We need to influence each other and borrow the best that is available.

4.

In addition to the physical events, books will be published in 2025 – for example, an anthology of BRICS poetry to be published by Russia and a BRICS Poetry Review to be edited by Brazil. How important is it to develop a common policy of editorial dialogue to overcome the current lack of bibliographic exchange of contemporary poetry between these countries?

Vadim Terekhin – Through publishing programs, we will have to get to know each other again.

Literature of the 21st century is moving away from the usual paper format into the virtual space and is getting lost in the vast fields of the Internet. Today, everyone has the opportunity to express themselves, to a greater or lesser extent. Another thing is that only relatives and close people will hear it, which is already a lot. There are almost no non-writers among my colleagues anymore.

Everyone writes posts, reviews, critical opinions, which are also creative works. For me, “interesting trends” in literature mean reading a book that influences your destiny. In my youth, there were such books. Today we are at a turning point in history, when new forms of communication are being developed. In this process, we cannot let the number win over the word!

I am afraid to mention the names of prominent young and contemporary writers, because only time has the right to do so. I have an anthology of writers from the late nineteenth century, but most of their names mean almost nothing to the modern reader.

Russian literature is beautiful because it still keeps tradition at its core. No matter how much it may be broken! Sympathy and mercy for the humiliated and insulted, the search for truth and truthfulness, the desire to “live according to conscience,” the search for divine love – these are the pillars on which it will stand forever.

5.

One of the problems with cultural proposals related to poetry is translation – precisely because it is a literary genre that is difficult to adapt between languages. How does BRICSWA think about this? Will working groups be created to ensure that this content circulates between different languages?

Vadim Terekhin – In Russia, many great poets, such as Boris Pasternak, Nikolai Zabolotsky, Samuil Marshak and many others, were engaged in translation. The school of translation was very developed. From my point of view, the translator himself must have a great poetic gift, know the literature, traditions and customs of the country of origin of the translated poet, for the translation to be successful. But the most important thing is that the translator himself must be a good poet!

I think we need to create working groups not only for translations, but also for all literary genres – poetry, prose, theater, criticism, visual literature, etc.

6.

Culture is a way to unite people and strengthen peace, and BRICS is becoming an important geopolitical center in the world. How important is a proposal like BWA's in the current context?

Vadim Terekhin – The word has enormous power, it is a double-edged sword! It can deeply wound a person and even destroy him, but it can also elevate him to unprecedented spiritual heights. The word is the guarantee of peace on earth, it ends wars and concludes agreements of loyalty and love. The word opens the doors of this life for people and must serve in the name of man and for the good of man.

When a poet sits down to write, there must always be in him the desire to write a book that will change the world. A talented poet has the responsibility to know how to use the talent that has been given to him. A writer (poet), perhaps, after death, does not go to hell or heaven, like everyone else, but to the world that he created in his imagination during his life.

A talented work is always festive, brilliant, and even with a tragic ending, it purifies, gives strength to overcome the difficulties and sufferings encountered on everyone's path, helps to carry one's own cross. It offers an opportunity to look at oneself from the outside, evaluate one's actions, correct mistakes, and is a starting point for one's creativity. It provides empathy, sympathy, and teaches one to accept other spiritual experiences. A good book makes me excited and wants to write something similar, and perhaps even better.

True poetry demands effort, because true joy comes only through effort on oneself. The world needs not only talented writers, but also talented readers.

Poets and readers of all countries unite!

*Sergio Cohn He is a poet and editor of Azougue. He is currently curator of the magazine Poetry Always of the National Library Foundation.

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