Kirmen Uribe introduced by Aitor Antuñano

“All of us have an inner river about to burst its banks”
This is a verse from the first poem by Mentrestant agafa’m la mà, the first and only book of poems by Kirmen Uribe. Author of several literary works for children and young people, novels and combinations of literature and music, this book gave Kirmen prominence in amongst the most important contemporary Basque literature names.
The book enjoyed a warm welcome from readers and critics alike, both from the Basque Country and internationally, and has been translated into several languages, including Catalan, Spanish, French, English, and Russian. A performance was created from the book, a show in which poetry and music blend together, and in which famous Basque musicians collaborated, such as Mikel Urdangarin.
Kirmen presents the ideas that accompany the reader on their literary journey with this verse. These are poems that come from deep down, which remain close to us, and above all, transmit calm, a calm from a feeling of impotence that is accepted, as Igor Estankona highlighted when he wrote about the book. A calm from which “everything becomes more plausible, tenderer, better”.

Aitor Antuñano
Critic and translator


The series “Poetry Mondays at Arts Santa Mònica” opens up a public space in which the most significant voices of Catalan and international poetry can be heard on a regular basis throughout the year in Barcelona.

• OrganizedArts Santa Mònica, la Institució de les Lletres Catalanes i Cafè Central
• In conjunction with Diari ARA, PEN Català, Assossiació d'Escriptors en Llengua Catalana