Something special to share with you in the wings since late last year: Switch-Lit is partnering with Poetry International to launch a “mystery poet collab” at their 2026 Poetry International Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands this June 4-7th!
Together with the world-class programming team at Poetry International, we’ve commissioned two notable poets, masters of their craft, to engage in the “serious play” of a Switch-Lit poem written via Subrosa (and currently underway).
The poets’ identities are kept secret from one another until they meet on the festival stage, unveil their collaborative poem, and engage in a moderated discussion about their experimental journey.
Inspired by this year’s Poetry International festival theme – “Word on the Street” – and given the popularity of our “Sidewalk Ballet” Subrosa round, we’re also launching a contest for local poets (or inspired travelers) to attend the festival in Rotterdam:
“Sidewalk Ballet: Rotterdam 🇳🇱”
Write a Switch-Lit poem inspired by the “sidewalk ballet” of the city of Rotterdam and submit below by May 24th, 2026
Write with a partner you already know, or get paired with a Rotterdam-connected partner by joining our updated “Sidewalk Ballet” Subrosa round
🏆 The four (4) poets of two (2) winning submissions will receive all-access tickets to the 2026 Poetry International Festival (June 4-7, 2026) in Rotterdam, NL.
Winning poets will be notified by May 29th, 2026
See you out on the stoep,
— S••L
In the red-light district, a former nun serves a secret recipe of decadent "communion waffles" to the city’s dispossessed, invisible, and "living dead". Write the experience of one customer whose every bite cracks open a lucid dream meeting with Holy Death herself. (⭐Bonus: Write with a post-religious soul or social worker in your life.)
by Switch-Lit
Switch-Lit is no stranger to the Dutch. Our design and technology partners – Studio Airport and September Digital – are based in Utrecht; our illustrations by Rob en Robin hail from Breda.
And whether in Utrecht, Breda, Rotterdam, and beyond, Dutch cities and culture seem to share this common ground by design:
Pragmatic minimalism: A “no-nonsense” approach that strips objects down to their essence often using primary colors and geometric forms.
Adaptive innovation: A super-modernist tendency to question the status quo rather than raze it, resulting in unconventional structures that create a visual dialogue between past and future.
Quirky sense of humor: A playful “tongue-in-cheek” sensibility that disarms the more austere European schools of thought.
Connection to nature: A signature trait is the integration of hidden courtyards, or hofje, and vertical gardens to maintain the connection between nature and community.
Human-centric urbanism: Their cities are for people, not cars, where pedestrians, cyclists, and transit coexist without rigid barriers.
Artful infrastructure: The many canals and waterfronts aren’t just aesthetic, but functional, incorporating “floating” homes and climate-resilient recreational spaces.
What does the city of Rotterdam mean to you? What does the “sidewalk ballet” of your own city look like?
Welcome the latest writers into the Switch-Lit community…
Join one of our featured Subrosa rounds to get paired with another Switch-Lit writer for creative synergy and connection 😶🌫️👹🥸🙈
Join the "Sidewalk Ballet" round 🌹
MISTER OTA:
Why are we afraid of the first time?
Every day in life is a first time.
Every morning is new.
We never live the same day twice.
We are never afraid of getting up every morning.
…Why?
— Yi Yi (2000) by Edward Yang, writer and director
The Switch-Lit mission: to manifest the collective imagination of diverse writing communities through the connective power of collaborative fiction, poetry, and prose.
🌹
S••L
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