Poetry Jenga, is a game and object poem conceived by Astra Papachristodoulou in 2019. It was initially created for the event Hungarian Lit Night: tributes to Attila József, curated by Steven J. Fowler. The Poetry Jenga has taken many forms since then, with thanks to commissions by Christie's, the Hungarian Cultural Centre, the Poetry Café, and 8OX Press. It has been mentioned at the Times, the Financial Times, The Bookseller and London Magazine amongst others.
The Poetry Jenga is played and read using the exact same rules as traditional Jenga, with the difference of each wooden block being decorated with a line of poetry. Readers take turns to pull pieces, to form and reform the poem, which becomes increasingly unstable. Success requires balance, patience, and manual dexterity. Since its conception in 2019, Poetry Jenga has been showcased in primary schools, poetry festivals, libraries, auction houses, museums and galleries.
Selected adventures of the Poetry Jenga!
2023, London Literature Festival, Southbank Centre
2023, Bone Jenga at the Belfast Book Festival, The Crescent
2023, Giant Poetry Jenga at the Verve Poetry Festival, Birmingham Hippodrome
2022, Giant Poetry Jenga at the Art of Literature event, Christie's
2022, My first Poetry Jenga at the Poetry Games exhibition, National Poetry Library
2021, A Tiny Jenga at the Small Publisher's Fair, Conway Hall
2020, My first Poetry Jenga at the Double Six exhibition, Kingston Museum
2019, Monochrome Poetry Jenga at the London Lit Festival, Southbank Centre
2019, My first Poetry Jenga at Blockplay pop-up exhibition, Poetry Café
2019, My first Poetry Jenga performed at Tributes to Attila József, Hungarian Cultural Centre