Remember summer 2021? For weeks I was writing about the work on the field with Robert Weis in Luxembourg from the Musée national d’histoire naturelle de Luxembourg (Department of Palaeontology). Robert is a scientist, a writer, a traveller. WE hvae known each other for many years and already experienced some geopoetic pratcice. In 2020 he came up with the idea of a geopoetic work of interpretation of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere. We followed the new and improved, fascinating Minett Trail and “read and wrote” the landscape with that geopoetic practice I have been developing on in the last twenty years, and that Weis also took to Luxembourg. Because… My geopoetic is a practice: it is the reconnection between the creative spark, the kinetic intuition of every living being that is how the lexicon of the Earth – geography – is affecting all our lives.

The Minett really is an interesting area in the heart of Europe, where the contemporary industrial history which stretched internationally for a century has turned into an amazing opportunity for a new natural history. Insitutional choices spurred by a grassroot movement of concerned citizens. Including Robert.

But read HERE before proceeding, then return to this post.

This achievement was made possible by the amazing work of Minett UNESCO Biosphere, the people working for it and all the institutions involved (including Weis’s Muséee national d’histoire naturelle in the beautiful capital of Luxembourg), the collaboration with the Department of Culture. But I can not avoid to particularly express my gratitude to Gaëlle Tavernier, Yann Logelin, Hana Prosser and Isabelle Mattern, people we have been working with for over a year now. And of course my friend Robert Weis. Being on the field to experiment a groundbreaking work where the geopoetic practice can become a story, was truly amazing. In fact, I also need to thank all the people who joined our geopoetic walks and the camp in July 2021, contributing with their feedback to our work. Now, with these guidelines and the freedom to roam, we wrote a geopoetic journal that is now the book, in French and English. The book launch will happen in three different events in three different locations – Luxembourg, Esch-Sur-Alzette (that in 2022 is currently European Capital of Culture) and Rumelange. From July 14 to July 16 two seated events and a geopoetic walk as you can READ HERE. There will be guests and we are honored to know that two ministers from two key departments (Culture and Energy and Spacial Planning) will join us to back up the project as they already did in 2021.

There is really a lot to say about this work. And we will tell the tale during the 14-16 July launch tour (HERE is the whole program). Follow me on my social media during the Luxembourg expedition (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn ). And of course, get in touch with the publisher Editions Phi to buy the book either in French or in English.

ROCKLINES. A Geopoetic Journey Across The Minett UNESCO Biosphere (ROCKLINES. Un Voyage Géepoétique à Travers la Minett UNESCO Biosphere) by Davide S. Sapienza and Robert Weis is 120 pages and it costs 18 Euros.