Επιμέλεια: Εύα Πετροπούλου Λιανού
Written by poet, writer, journalist and translator TAGHRID BOU MERHI
Lebanon / Brazil
HIPERPOEM: The first book to gather a large record number (2000 writers from 92 countries), participating in the Guinness World Records Encyclopedia.
Collaborative work in poetry and literature holds great importance in uniting peoples and enhancing cultural understanding. Poetry is considered a unique way to express experiences and emotions in a manner that transcends borders. Collaborative work in poetry enhances communication between different cultures, contributing to providing a window for cultural exchange and mutual understanding. Poetry strengthens bonds among people through an artistic language that captivates hearts and uses beauty as a means of convergence. This collaborative work contributes to enriching the global cultural heritage and promoting cooperation among nations. And the book HIPERPOEM is the best evidence of this open cultural diversity, which highlights the unique value of plurality in expressing ideas and different cultures. The book brought together the largest number of writers in the world, 2000 writers, and entered the Guinness World Records Encyclopedia. This book is not just a record number; it is a unique project, its subject is global friendship, and it includes nearly 2000 poets from more than 90 countries in the world, with a presentation in fifty languages, which is an achievement in the importance of diversity and cultural exchange in enhancing our common understanding of the world we live in. It is a great pride for me to find my name shining in this book, the global encyclopedia, through a quartet about friendship in the world…
Project background:
The HIPERPOEM project was just an idea in the mind of the talented young poet Kabishev Alexander Konstantinovich, a poet, writer, and journalist from Russia. The idea of the HIPERPOEM project originated in the summer of 2020. At that time, as part of the works of the “DEMO GOG” group, which he chaired, there were plans to create a large internet poem with the participation of dozens of writers. However, at that time, the project did not receive the necessary coverage and interest from poets and their readers, so it was suspended for a period. Everything changed in the fall of 2021, when the number of group members approached 10,000, and people started inquiring about the project and expressing their desire to participate in it. In light of those events, the project was revived and restarted!
Project idea:
The idea of the project is very simple, which is to connect the largest possible number of writers within a specific theme: “international cooperation and friendship” to achieve a world record (at least 1500 writers) in the Guinness Book in the direction of: the largest poem in the history of humanity in terms of the number of participating writers (in addition to: the number of languages in one work). To participate, each writer needs to write a quartet within the specified theme (in their native language or English) and fill out a questionnaire with their name. The questionnaire is designed to protect intellectual property rights and at the same time serve as evidence that the participant is a genuine writer.
Alexander adds that while working on HIPERPOEM, he faced many problems. The hardest thing was the beginning and connecting the first hundred participants. At that time, not everyone believed in or understood the project; some confused it with a competition, and some with regular groups. I had to provide additional explanations and comments about the project. Some participants faced difficulties in filling out the questionnaires or forms, so we had to come up with new opportunities and work together to find solutions. It was relatively easy for all participants to understand and convey the theme of “international friendship”. However, even here, different writers saw it in different ways. For some, it was about humanity, the world, and the country’s environment. For others, it was about family and friends, and some writers even found it a reflection of nature, God, or love. However, I believe that such diversity will fill HIPERPOEM with new original ideas that will increase its value.
Importance of HIPERPOEM:
The significance of HIPERPOEM is exceedingly great, far beyond the flashy claims of global records. Indeed, it is a unique phenomenon that has made it possible to unite the largest number of writers (poets) from the broadest diversity and geographical scope (92 countries). This scale not only demonstrates the extent of closeness and understanding of the theme of “international friendship” for everyone on the planet, but it also opens a window to new trends in modern literature. Perhaps HIPERPOEM is the largest book in which anyone following the basic rules of the project can participate. For example, “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy is the most famous massive novel. But how can modern poets and writers participate in it? Furthermore, how will such a historical novel change – will it be static, as Leo Tolstoy completed it? But HIPERPOEM can grow for years and decades, inviting and giving the opportunity to thousands of new writers, whether they are well-known or beginners. And this is just the beginning and the most immediate possibilities of the project!
Outcome
Now, HIPERPOEM has achieved the desired result in 2023, where the number of participants in the project reached 2000 poets from different countries around the world, making the HIPERPOEM book the first book to gather this large record number participating in the Guinness Book…
Alexandre adds that while we are still dealing with the Guinness World Records, there are many plans for future work. So, we have started working on the second volume, and more than 100 new participants have already joined HIPERPOEM. In addition, we plan to prepare a documentary film about HIPERPOEM and its participants to present to a wider audience about the project and its achievements.
Although the current situation in the world is still tense, both in light of political differences between major and advanced countries and regional conflicts, projects like HIPERPOEM allow writers from different countries to get to know each other, exchange creativity, and establish a global friendship on the surface of the earth. And while it may seem relatively ordinary to some now, great things start from small things.
In conclusion, the book HIPERPOEM retains its record-breaking participation of over 2000 writers with unique significance. This work represents an open spirit and cultural diversity, bringing together the voices of hundreds of writers from around the world. It highlights the unique value of diversity in expressing ideas and different cultures, enhancing our understanding of the world from a diverse and comprehensive perspective. This book is not just a record number; it is a cultural masterpiece that embodies cross-border communication and the impact of literature in uniting humanity. This achievement invites us to reflect on the importance of diversity and cultural exchange in enhancing our common understanding of the world we live in.
About the poet Alexandre Kabishev Konstantinovich:
Alexander Kabishev Konstantinovich is from Russia, a poet, writer, and journalist, an active participant and manager at the magazine in the “LIFE LINE OF EVERY CHILD” foundation, founder and president of the international creative and cultural project “DEMO GOG”, editor-in-chief of the “HUMANITY” magazine, author of a collection of short stories “NIGHTMARE”, a collection of poems “DANCE OF POETRY”, and a novel “RED CORAL”. Responsible for and organizer of groups of modern prose and poetry “SILICON AGE” (two volumes), a group “WHISPER IN THE WIND”, the first Russian-Vietnamese group “DAWN”, and the first Russian-Serbian group “FRIENDSHIP”. Director of a documentary film about charity “ECLF”. Founder and guide of the global record project “HIPERPOEM”. Member of the Writers’ Union of Russia. Leader of the youth movement in the Writers’ Union of Russia. Member of the Writers’ Union of North America. Third-place winner of the global literature prize “Not a day without a line”. Participated as a co-author in many groups and publications in magazines and online media. Many of his original works have been translated and published in Spanish, Arabic, Italian, Vietnamese, French, English, Hindi, Portuguese, Serbian, Greek, Tagalog, and others (Russia, city of St. Petersburg).
The book is available at the following Amazon store: [Link to Amazon]:
