{"id":176,"date":"2026-01-16T19:57:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T19:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amve.org.uk\/?page_id=176"},"modified":"2026-05-24T18:39:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T18:39:33","slug":"3th-jozsef-attila-poetry-and-prose-recitation-contest-in-england","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/amve.org.uk\/en\/rendezvenyeink\/iii-angliai-jozsef-attila-vers-es-prozamondo-verseny-beszamolo-es-kepgaleria\/","title":{"rendered":"3rd J\u00f3zsef Attila Poetry and Prose Recitation Contest in England"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St. Stephen\u2019s House, London, 11 May 2019<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Association of Hungarian Reciters in England organized its national recitation contest for the third time, on the occasion of Hungarian Poetry Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim of the competition is to nurture the Hungarian language and literature, as well as to preserve and promote the values of Hungarian culture in the United Kingdom. The contest took place ont he 11th of May 2019, at St. Stephen House in London, welcoming amateur poetry and prose reciters from across England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The competition was held in three age groups: Children, Youth, and Adult categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants were required to prepare one poem by Attila J\u00f3zsef and one freely chosen poem or prose piece from universal Hungarian literature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In her welcoming speech, the main organiser, Be\u00e1ta Verb\u00e1szi, noted that 2019 was a particularly rich memorial year in Hungarian literature. We commemorated the 90th anniversary of S\u00e1ndor K\u00e1ny\u00e1di\u2019s birth, the 40th anniversary of Istv\u00e1n \u00d6rk\u00e9ny\u2019s death, the 70th birthday of G\u00e1sp\u00e1r Nagy, the 170th anniversary of S\u00e1ndor Pet\u0151fi\u2019s death, the centenary of Endre Ady\u2019s death, and the 110th anniversary of Mikl\u00f3s Radn\u00f3ti\u2019s birth. She encouraged the reciters to remain steadfast and dedicated, emphasizing that they are the ones carrying the torch received from our ancestors\u2014a role of special significance for generations growing up in the diaspora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regarding the work of the jury, she remarked:
„Anyone who sits at the jury table having once been a reciter in their heart and soul knows exactly what lies behind a few minutes of performance. They know well that certain spark of will ignited in childhood, which drives those worthy onto the podium to say something truly important.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of the Jury:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Be\u00e1ta Verb\u00e1szi<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Radn\u00f3ti and Kaleidoscope Award-winning performer, Chair of the Jury<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Franciska \u00c9ry<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Theatre and Opera Director<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Kati R\u00e1cz<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Actress and Dubbing Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Following the welcome, the contestants took centre stage, proving their talent and dedication with sophisticated and well-prepared performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    During the lunch break, the jury deliberated to determine the final rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A highlight of the event was the Gala Program, which aimed to introduce Hungarian artists living in England. The stage featured the Foreign Accent Band<\/strong> and actress Mimi Kov\u00e1cs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    The Nottingham-based\u00a0Foreign Accent Band<\/strong>\u00a0performs motifs from Hungarian literature and folk music in an eclectic folk-rock style. Their program included the following poetry adaptations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Attila J\u00f3zsef:\u00a0Oh Heart, Be Calm!<\/em>\u00a0(\u00d3, sz\u00edv, nyugodj!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Endre Ady:\u00a0Prayer After War<\/em>\u00a0(Im\u00e1ds\u00e1g h\u00e1bor\u00fa ut\u00e1n)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Attila J\u00f3zsef:\u00a0Perhaps I\u2019ll Suddenly Vanish<\/em>\u00a0(Tal\u00e1n elt\u0171n\u00f6k hirtelen)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Endre Ady:\u00a0The Lord\u2019s Arrival<\/em>\u00a0(Az \u00dar \u00e9rkez\u00e9se)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      as well as further adaptations inspired by folk music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Actress Mimi Kov\u00e1cs<\/strong>, born in Ko\u0161ice, graduated with honours from the University of Kaposv\u00e1r. As a member of the National Theatre of P\u00e9cs, she proved her talent in numerous leading roles and was recognized with a Quality Award (N\u00edv\u00f3d\u00edj). In London, she pursued diplomatic studies and currently works as a Personal Assistant to the Leader of the House of Commons in the British Parliament. Her performance provided a deep emotional experience for the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Following the Gala Program, Franciska \u00c9ry evaluated the performances, which was followed by the awards ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Contestants received prizes donated by Hungarian-owned businesses operating in England. Notable recognitions included an etching by painter J\u00f3zsef Olexa and the J\u00f3zsef Attila Award of England<\/strong>, which carried a \u00a3100 cash prize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      The Association of Hungarian Reciters in England once again delighted the public with a successful and high-quality event, proving that Hungarian poetry remains a living, community-building force even in the diaspora.<\/p>\n\n\n

      <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Szent Istv\u00e1n H\u00e1z, London, 2019. m\u00e1jus 11. Az Angliai Magyar Versmond\u00f3k Egyes\u00fclete imm\u00e1r harmadik alkalommal rendezte meg orsz\u00e1gos szaval\u00f3verseny\u00e9t a magyar\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1980,"parent":11,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-176","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amve.org.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amve.org.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amve.org.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amve.org.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amve.org.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/amve.org.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/176\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4465,"href":"https:\/\/amve.org.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/176\/revisions\/4465"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amve.org.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amve.org.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amve.org.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}