The opening of the audioexhibition "The Poetry Ride - the 7 first years" and the poetry reading were a great success this week in Riga. Around 100 people gathered to a brand new building of National Library of Latvia in order to enjoy the opening the exhibition and the poetry reading. The Ambassador of Finland to Latvia, mr. Olli Kantanen pointed out in his speech that offering the possibility to translate, perform and listen to poems in different places and forums Poetry Ride has enabled many new perspectives to the cultures near us like Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Sweden. According to the festival manager Jenni Kallionsivu it is crucial for the Poetry Ride that it has no tradition but always a new network of connections being every year on the road with a new company of professional poetry lovers. The coordinator Kadri Kaljurand from Finnish Institute was pleased to know about the desicion of National Library of Latvia to ensure the touring of exhibition in the future also in other exhibition venues in Latvia. The audioexhibition "The Poetry Ride - the 7 first years" will be open until 30 September in National Library of Latvia.

After the opening of exhibition the word was given to the captivating poets and the guests of honnor from the previous years of the Poetry Ride festival: Heli Laaksonen from Finland, Contra and fs from Estonia and Inga Gaile, Ingmāra Balode, Anna Auziņa, Kārlis Vērdiņš, Eduards Aivars, Arvis Viguls from Latvia. The audience followed the poetry reading  with great enthusiasm and was cleary entertained by the gushing sense of humor of the poets, who presented their poems in their mother language. The reading of Estonian and Finnish poets was leaded and interpreted by the great help of the artistic director of Poetry Ride and the translator of the most of the poems presented in the reading, Guntars Godiņš. The audience was especially facinated by Estonian poet Contra, who could express himself in Latvian language even by singing, but all the guests from abroad were warmly welcome by the audience, who was devoted to the Poetry Ride happenings 2,5 hours in a row and later at the reception of the Embassy of Finland.