The Ploiești City Hall and the “I.L. Caragiale” House of Culture of the Municipality of Ploiești are organising a new edition of this event, which transforms the Ploiești community into a space of artistic dialogue, bringing together writers, critics, artists, and young creators, alongside numerous partner cultural institutions.
The “Nichita Stănescu” Poetry Festival will take place between 28-31 March this year, the extensive event including: conferences, poetry recitals, book launches, round tables, and interactive activities for the young audience.
Detailed event programme:
- Saturday, 28 March 2026
Institutional partners: Prahova County Council, “Paul Constantinescu” Philharmonic, “Toma Caragiu” Theatre, and Alliance Française Ploiești.
11:00 AM | “Paul Constantinescu” Philharmonic Ploiești
Fête de la Francophonie! L’Alliance Française de Ploiești fête ses 35 ans d’existence.
- Launch of the volume “Alliance Française Ploiești. 35 years of history”. Partners: Euro Spirit Association, MasterPeace Ro Association, Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiești, Prahova Natural Sciences Museum, “Nicolae Iorga” County Library;
- Music show: “Chansons sur scène” performed by students of the “Brâncoveanu Vodă” Theoretical High School in the town of Urlați, as well as Bianca Hanu and MUSIC SPEAKS, the string quartet formed by Drăgoi Alessia (violin), Radu Elena (violin), Marin Delia (viola), and Nichita David (cello), collaborators of the “Ion Luca Caragiale” House of Culture of the Municipality of Ploiești.
- Awards ceremony for the contests:
- “Lire en fête”;
- “La Ronde des Mots”.
The respective contests were carried out in collaboration with educational institutions in Prahova County.
4:30 PM | “Marea Unire” Hall, Palace of Culture
- The environment as ambience in literature and the arts;
- Presentation of the magazine Caietele NORR, letters & arts, no. 7-8, 2026.
Host: Camelia Iuliana Radu, editor-in-chief of the magazine.
5:00 PM | “Marea Unire” Hall, Palace of Culture
Atitudini Cultural Soirées: guests, authors Cosmin Perța and Dana Ștefan; moderator, Jovi Ene.
“Hate me love” is a poetry volume by Cosmin Perța, published by ART Publishing House in the /pocket collection, released in 2026. The book stands out for its free, energetic, and rhythmic style, in which the author “plays” with the fundamental elements of poetic language – enumeration, repetition, rhythm, rhyme – exploring themes such as the tension between life and work, the fragility of feelings, and the contradictions of contemporary human experience.
Dana Ștefan is a poet and teacher of Romanian language and literature, with specialised studies in pedagogy and didactics in philology. Her works have been published in various prestigious literary magazines and anthologies. The volume #deshumări, published by Tracus Arte Publishing House in 2025, is constructed as an investigation of affective memory and one’s own identity.
6:00 PM | Foyer of the “Toma Caragiu” Theatre
“The Right to Time” – a journey into the poetic universe of Nichita Stănescu.
- Sunday, 29 March 2026
“Marea Unire” Hall, Palace of Culture
4:30 PM | Originality, the new “exotic”
My Touch! Mai taci? is a contemporary cultural magazine, now in its third issue, which gathers contributions by authors from various fields, from students to renowned figures. The publication stands out by promoting creativity and originality, supporting authentic expression in a world dominated by the artificial. Structured in diverse sections, from interviews to philosophical essays, varied artistic creation, fashion, sport, articles, book reviews, etc., the magazine offers a framework that is exotic in terms of the present, where ideas circulate freely and naturally.
Moderated by Loredana Stoica, Associate Professor PhD at the Department of Philology of the Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiești, writer and visual artist, initiator of the project, editor-in-chief of the magazine, who supports the need for such a space dedicated to free and authentic expression, and Laura Lupu, editorial secretary of the magazine, philologist and writer.
5:00 PM | Atitudini Cultural Soirées: guests, authors Peter Demeny and Cătălina Bălan; moderator, Jovi Ene.
The volume Letter from the Savannah, published by Cartier Publishing House, is part of Peter Demeny’s mature poetic register, an author known for the balance between intellectual reflection and confessional sensitivity. The book proposes a poetics of distance and otherness, suggested metaphorically through the image of the “savannah” – a space of openness, exposure, and fertile solitude.
Cătălina Bălan presents the volume On the Right Side of the Map, published by Paralela 45 Publishing House, through which she proposes a poetry of existential orientation, in which the metaphor of the map becomes an instrument for exploring the self and the relationship with the world.
- Monday, 30 March 2026
“Marea Unire” Hall, Palace of Culture
5:00 PM | Launch of the collective volume of the “Ion Stratan” Literary Creation Camp (2025 edition): “My soul rolled at the feet of the three Graces”.
6:00 PM | Launch of the winning volume of the “Nichita Stănescu” Literary Debut Contest – 2nd edition: the volume “Expertiza“, by Mihai-Cristian Vaidoș.
6:30 PM | Event “Perspectives on Contemporary Poetry”.
Volume launches:
- Iulia Dragomir – “God’s Smile”;
- Cecilia Dragomir – “Harmonies of Broken Yearnings”.
Special guest: Associate Professor PhD Daniel Cristea-Enache – literary critic.
Participants (critical references and poetic dialogue): Irina Elena Catrinescu, Corina Cristescu, Iulia Dragomir, Marian Dragomir.
7:00 PM | Poetry recital and dialogue on contemporary poetry: Emilia Petrescu, Emilia Luchian, Adrian Iliescu, Medeea Andronescu, Cecilia Dragomir, Marian Toma Stancu, Alexandru Mircea Costea, Laura Isabell Nicolae, Maria Bem, Ana Nedelcu, Ciprian Apetrei, Sorana Brucăr, Luminița Bratu, Iulia Dragomir. Moderator: Iulia Dragomir.
Musical performance: Bianca Constantin, Maya Elena Burloiu, Miruna Ioana Ungureanu
- Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Implementation of the educational project “Close to Nichita“, a programme intended for high school students and teachers, focused on deepening the work and poetic values promoted by Nichita Stănescu.
10:00 AM | Bust of Nichita Stănescu, Civic Centre – Ploiești
Commemorative moment that includes the laying of flowers at the bust of the poet, in the presence of representatives from the Ploiești City Hall, the “Ion Luca Caragiale” House of Culture of the Municipality of Ploiești, the “Toma Caragiu” Theatre Ploiești, the “Paul Constantinescu” Philharmonic Ploiești, alongside students from the “Nichita Stănescu” National College Ploiești, the “Toma Socolescu” Technological High School Ploiești, and the “Elie Radu” Energy Technological High School Ploiești.
1:00 PM | Ploiești City Hall
County recitation contest: “Under Nichita’s Wing”.
4:30 PM | “Marea Unire” Hall, Palace of Culture
From Nichita’s Unwords, to the Elixir of Deea State
A 40-minute One-Woman Show, interactive and full of vibrancy, that takes poetry out of its classical patterns.
What does the moment involve?
- 100% interaction;
The audience does not just listen, but becomes a “co-author”, finishing the verses on the special cards that the author will prepare;
- Impeccable Mix
The interweaving of 10 representative poems by Nichita with 10 selections from DEEA STATE’s books.
5:00 PM | “Marea Unire” Hall, Palace of Culture
Conference on Contemporary Poetry organised in partnership with the Romanian Writers’ Union.
Participants:
- Varujan Vosganian – President of the Romanian Writers’ Union;
- Horia Gârbea – President of the Poetry Section, Romanian Writers’ Union;
- Marius Nica – Associate Professor PhD, Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiești;
- Dan Gulea – teacher, member of the Romanian Writers’ Union, editor-in-chief of the cultural magazine Atitudini of the “Ion Luca Caragiale” House of Culture of the Municipality of Ploiești.
The organisers invite all literature lovers to take part in this edition of the festival, which marks 93 years since the birth of the great Ploiești poet, a landmark event for the cultural life of our community and of Romania alike.
Together we celebrate culture and Nichita Stănescu – the Blond Angel of Romanian poetry!
