Since 2001, 26 September has been celebrated as the European Day of Languages (EDL). It is jointly organized by the Council of Europe and the European Commission.
The aims are to: raise awareness of the wide variety of languages in Europe; promote cultural heritage and linguistic diversity; encourage people of all ages to learn languages; and promote translation, interpretation, and other language-related professions.
In celebration of cultural exchange and the expansive linguistic and immigrant heritages of Chicago, the Poetry Foundation partners with European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) for a multilingual poetry reading on European Day of Languages. Poems will be read in Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, and Spanish.
Featured poets include Ruth Llana, Ondřej Macl, Olympia, Audre Budrys Nakas, reading Liūnė Sutema, Léon Pradeau, and Lea Schneider. Filling out the lineup are Nick Makoha and Raymond Antrobus, transatlantic contributors from the Black British Poetry folio in Poetry’s September issue.
This program is presented in partnership with Chicago’s Instituto Cervantes, the Czech Consulate, the Consulate General of Lithuania, Villa Albertine, the Goethe-Institut, and the Italian Cultural Institute as part of the European Festival of Languages. It is also part of the Poetry Foundation’s fall 2025 season, Facing Life.