The Poetry Mongolia project is the first phase of a collaboration between English and Mongolian women poets, including Dulmaa Shagdar, Suglegmaa Hurgaa, Ulziitugs Luvsandorj , Munkhsetseg Gompildoo and Oyundari Tsagaan led by Ruth O’Callaghan.
Through the medium of poetry we explore the differing perceptions in the East and West of such themes as nationality and culture, death and spirituality and the environment as well as attitudes towards major figures or heroes/heroines, such as Genghis Khan.
The project arose from a series of interviews with well-known women poets which led to interviewing and working with Suglegmaa Hurgaa and Ultziitugs Lavsandorj. The decision to engage on a face-to-face basis arose organically from the interviews as it offered a unique opportunity to explore collaboratively-agreed themes with poets from an entirely different culture. My month in Mongolia was made possible courtesy of the Arts Council and deepened the creative relationships that had been built up via e-mails and long-distance contact.
As a poet I am concerned with exploring the boundaries of language and how we may extend language in
the future. Changing the language changes the perception of the subject matter. Hence, by being exposed
to a culture that has totally different perceptions to my own, as well as a different literary heritage, facilitates
re-evaluation to both the approach and form of poetry. It is only through constant experimentation that language and poetic form will remain a living force.
Every poet needs to replenish the creative ‘well’ from which s/he draws upon and engaging with poets in the elemental landscape of Mongolia has proved to be spiritually enhancing.
The collaborative and reciprocal nature of the Poetry Mongolia project cannot be stressed enough and it is hoped that the project is a precursor to a reciprocal visit from the Mongolian poets.