Greek Poems on the Underground

As part of the activities to mark the Greek Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers (first half of 2014) in the UK, the Greek Embassy in London and the Hellenic Foundation for Culture (London Branch), poems by Greek, British and Irish poets have already been posted in the London Underground from February 24 to April 2014. This way thousands of passengers will have the opportunity to read bilingual verses of poems by Sappho and Anyte of Tegea, Constantine Cavafy and Nikos Gatsos along with poems by Lord Byron, John Keats and the Irish poet and translator Theo Dorgan. The poems were selected by the writer Judith Chernaik and the poets Gerard Benson and Cicely Herbert. The Greek Ambassador Mr. Konstantinos Bikas addressed the opening ceremony of the event “Greek Poems on the Underground” that took place at the Keats House. On the occasion, the Cultural Attaché of the Embassy Dr. Solomonidou said that «Greek poets, and poets inspired by Greece (e.g. Lord Byron), will invite, for a period of 6 weeks, thousands of people to an imaginary journey to Greece».