Elvira Sastre, born in Segovia in 1992, began writing poetry at twelve and has continued cultivating the craft ever since. After many recognitions inside the literary world, she has recently been exploring a fusion between music and verse, earning multiple awards along the way. This evolving project brought her to the Guimerá Theater on a Tuesday that saw a blend of art forms, perfectly capturing her current artistic direction. She joined the new edition of Culture & Business Pride with a performance titled I don’t want to be a souvenir anymore.
How about a festival like Culture and Business?
For Sastre, Culture and Business represents a necessary and compelling platform that broadens the discussion beyond the traditional confines of poetry. It expands the conversation to include cultural and commercial perspectives, offering audiences a richer understanding of contemporary creative practices. The festival’s approach allows attendees to glimpse what is happening now in a way that feels accessible, practical, and deeply human. It is a space where poetry meets the wider currents of the arts and economy, and that intersection is what makes the event genuinely engaging.
They confirm that their offer at the festival “is not your typical poetry recital”. What did you prepare?
Her preparation centers on a deliberate and expansive approach to poetry. Rather than delivering a conventional reading, she presents a fusion of music and poetry that uses electronic textures, dynamic sound shifts, and occasional autotune. The performance embraces a spectrum of musical influences, applying them to poems in ways that reflect the mood and message of each piece. The result is a stage experience that moves beyond narration to become an immersive exploration, inviting the audience to experience poetry as living sound and sensation rather than a fixed text on a page.
Is poetry experiencing a new golden age?
Poetry has enjoyed moments of undeniable splendor at various times in history, and today it maintains a strong presence in cultural discourse. While the peak might have passed in some circles, poetry continues to rise to prominent places and connect with new audiences. It is clear that the art form has evolved, expanding its reach and relevance, and for Sastre this is a sign of ongoing vitality and importance in contemporary culture.
You say “Words are beautiful”. Should we remind society to keep this in mind these days?
Yes, the beauty of words matters now more than ever. Sastre believes in the power of language to evoke feeling, spark reflection, and reach people who might not normally engage with poetry. She aims to share verses with a global audience, especially those who have never encountered poetry before or who encounter a single striking image, such as a photograph, a t-shirt, or an advertisement, that carries a poetic spark. Keeping language vibrant and accessible helps poetry travel further and touch more lives.
You wrote your first poem at twelve. Do you remember what it was about? Would you change anything about it?
In those early years, poetry was a way to map out new ideas and emotions. The impulse was to capture impressions before their shape fully formed, a rough but honest exploration of a world just beginning to be understood. Sastre feels that nothing should be changed about those early verses because they form the foundation of her craft today. Those drafts carried a precision and clarity that later matured into a more nuanced voice, and looking back she sees the value in every line that helped her grow.
You write from childhood; how did your poetry develop? How does it feel to write now?
Over time, her topics shifted and deepened. Now the focus leans toward existential questions, human relationships, and the ways women navigate society. The author reflects on the self and how personal histories intersect with broader social currents. Writing today continues to be a way to examine these themes with honesty and courage, translating intimate experience into universal resonance. The process feels less about producing neat conclusions and more about inviting readers to seek their own meanings within the verses.
Thinking without justifying writing?
Sastre notes that it is challenging to write without asserting a stance. She believes in letting emotion, social context, and political awareness inform word choice. The act of writing becomes a tool for shaping perception and initiating change, using language not simply to describe but to influence how people think and feel. Her stance is clear: poetry serves as a powerful vehicle for commentary and transformation, not merely as ornament or entertainment.
She says all she needs in life is to write; can she do that anywhere?
With age comes a stronger sense that solitude, light, and music are essential to the flow of words. She explains that creative energy often requires a specific environment where the mind can wander freely. Quiet moments and the right mood help the imagination unlock the connections that make poetry feel effortless, while music acts as a catalyst that accelerates the cadence of thought and fuels the writing process.