English-Language Poetry Evening in Mersch Pays Tribute to Robbie Martzen

On Tuesday 10 November 2026, four poets from different countries came together at the National Literature Centre (CNL) in Mersch for an evening of English-language poetry, while paying tribute to the late poet Robbie Martzen.

Attended by around 40 people, the event brought together Flame Darinov from Bulgaria, James Leader from the United Kingdom (UK), Cecile Somers-Lee from the Netherlands and Wendy Winn from the United States (US), all of whom now call Luxembourg home.

The evening was moderated by Benjamin Coles, who guided the discussions with thoughtful and often complicated questions about each writer's literature.

Wendy Winn opened the readings with poems from her collection Train of Thought, inspired by her short daily commute to work. Her poetry included political issues, modern everyday problems, often written with satire, as well as detailed sensory descriptions. "Phrases just waft by, like the scent of magnolias or lavender," one of her texts said.

The discussion with Benjamin Coles touched on the challenges of living abroad and maintaining ties with one's mother tongue. Wendy Winn highlighted the linguistic and cultural diversity she would miss if she returned to the US.

"If I did move back to the United States, I would desperately miss hearing Luxembourgish and Portuguese and French and German. That's a whole other kind of wealth," she said.

James Leader followed with four poems from his two collections, High Talk and In Steinsel Woods. His selected works showed well his distinctive style of writing about people in his life, their relationships and feelings, as well as retelling humorous stories often connected with deeper meanings.

Speaking with Benjamin Coles, James Leader explained his stylistic use of rhyme and strict poetic forms, describing the writing process as a "constant discovery". He also highlighted the importance of rhyme in poetry and acknowledged that the recurring themes of memories and relationships between generations may have developed through his experiences as a teacher and father, having spent much of his life working with younger people.

Flame Darinov, who has also previously spoken with Chronicle.lu, presented two of his poems, which combined English with Portuguese and were more emotional, revealing inner conflicts and interactions with others, as well as with the surrounding environment.

One of his poems, "Atop Hesper Castle", presented an interaction with the town of Hesperange through metaphors, as the city appeared to speak directly to the poet.

Speaking with Benjamin Coles afterwards, Flame Darinov explained: "These spaces [cities] have a meaning to us, first and foremost, because of the people in our lives."

Closing the four poets' readings was Cecile Somers-Lee, whose work brought a more cynical and satirical perspective to the evening. Her poetry also was bilingual with occasional French expressions blended in.

Among her selected works was "No One Respects a Notebook Until the Writer is Dead", which humorously imagined how a writer's private notebooks might attract attention after their death.

Remembering Robbie Martzen

The evening continued with a tribute to the late poet Robbie Martzen, who passed away on 17 August 2026 following a prolonged illness, with CNL Director Nathalie Jacoby reading a selection of his poems.

The readings were followed by a discussion in which the poets shared their interpretations of his work, highlighting his “playful” yet “abstract” and sometimes “whimsical” writing style.

His poems prompted reflections on human relationships, perceptions of beauty and the meanings hidden in seemingly ordinary things.

Speaking with Chronicle.lu, Benjamin Coles reflected on the connections between the poems presented throughout the evening. He explained that while the poets had selected their own works, there had been a combination of planning and coincidence in how well the different readings complemented one another.

The event concluded with a networking reception, during which attendees had the opportunity to speak with the authors and purchase signed copies of their books.