Ex Tempore (magazine)

Last updated February 15, 2026

Ex Tempore is a literary magazine published annually by the United Nations Society of Writers.^[1] The magazine was started in 1989, the same year as the society.^[2]^[3] There have been 34 issues, with the most recent in 2023.^[4]

Editions

Volume 19. Because 2008 was the International Year of Languages, Ex Tempore featured languages as its main theme. It included 148 pages with poetry, short stories and drama written by 43 authors in 14 languages, including Latin.
Volume 20. 160 pages in 13 languages, including Hebrew and Esperanto.
Volume 21. Dedicated to "music, the international language"; 104 pages (December 2010).
Volume 22. Dedicated to Jean-Jacques Rousseau; 168 pages (December 2011).^[5]
Volume 23. Dedicated to the Human Right to Peace.
Volume 24. Dedicated to the Verdi/Wagner bicentennial, swans, cows, love. (158 pages)
Volume 25. Dedicated to 25 years of UN writers. (184 pages)
Volume 26. Dedicated to the environment, COP21 and reconciliation. (168 pages)
Volume 27. Dedicated to the history of poetry and poetic correspondence. (172 pages)
Volume 28. Covering international day of happiness, music, populism, and an interview with Jean Ziegler (168 pages)
Volume 29. with essays about law and justice, fake news, fake history, fake law, fake diplomacy, fake democracy and great new poems (168 pages)
Volume 30. with articles from the essay-writing, poetry and blogging workshops held at the UN library on 27 September 2019 (180 pages).
Volume 31. with essays, short stories and poetry on confinement, lockdown, the coronavirus and a historical section in Russian devoted to Peter I Romanov (168 pages). The UN staff magazine The New Special published an article by Marko Stanovic on the "literature during confinement", reviewing the essays and poems contained in issue No. 31.^[6]

Volume 32. with essays, short stories, poetry and aphorisms, richly illustrated with pictures and a follow-up in Russian devoted to Peter I Romanov (148 pages).
Volume 33 with essays, short stories, poetry and aphorisms, many focusing on the Ukraine war and pleading for peace. This time the photos and illustrations are in colour. (156 pages)
Volume 34 celebrates 100 years since the publication of Robert Frost's famous poem "Stopping by Woods" and since the publication of Rainer Maria Rilke's "Sonnets to Orpheus" with a translation of a strophe from Sonnet XIX and a reference to Maria Callas, who would have been 100 years old on 2 December 2023.
Volume 35 offers a bouquet of essays and poetry by 44 UN staffers and encompasses 160 pages in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. It calls for Peace on Earth, good will to all humanity.
Volume 36 is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of Rainer Maria Rilke in Prague on 4 December 1875. It encompasses 164 pages of essays, poetry, haikus, aphorisms by 33 UN staffers in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. It celebrates 36 years of UNSW activities in and outside the UN and the flourishing relationship with the staff of the World Health Organization.

Special events

On 5 October 2008 Ex Tempore hosted the Mahmoud Darwish memorial lecture, during which poems of the recently deceased Palestinian poet were read out in Arabic, and in English and French translation.^{[ citation needed ]}
On 23 January 2009 the magazine hosted the traditional salon, attended by 52 people. The 14th annual salon took place on 22 January 2010, with 73 participants, and the 15th was on 21 January 2011.^{[ citation needed ]}
On 22 January 2010, 14th annual salon
On 21 January 2011, 15th annual salon.
On 20 January 2012, 16th annual salon.
On 28 June 2012, Jean-Jacques Rousseau workshop.
On 25 January 2013, 17th annual salon.
On 24 January 2014, 18th annual salon.^[7]
On 14 August 2014, celebration of 25 years UNSW at the Press Bar, Palais des Nations.
On 14 October 2014, UN Library event on 25 years Ex Tempore.^[8]^[9]
On 23 January 2015 the 19th annual salon was held with 63 poets and essayists attending
On 22 January 2016 the 20th annual salon was held with 61 participants.
On 16 November 2016 - conference/concert with Eric Noyer and Marie Neeser ^{[ citation needed ]}
On 20 January 2017 - 21st annual salon with 54 in the audience and 17 readers.
On 26 January 2018 - 22nd annual salon with 56 in the audience and 15 readers.
On 25 January 2019 - 23rd annual salon with 59 in the audience and 14 readers.
On 27 September 2019 - celebration of the 30th anniversary of the UNSW and Ex Tempore at the UN Library^[10]
On 24 September 2020 - 24th annual salon with 48 in the audience and 15 readers in English, French, German, Latin, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.
On 27 June 2021 - since the 25th annual salon had to be cancelled because of Covid, a "literary tea" was held outdoors in the garden, with 15 participants who read in the six UN languages.
On 25 June 2022 - since the annual salon was cancelled, a second "literary tea" was organized in the fresh air, this time with 16 participants who read in the six UN languages.
On 27 January 2023 - the regular January salon was revived with contributions in English, French and Spanish.
On 9 February 2024 - the January salon was attended by 31 UN writers, of whom 18 read their poems and short stories.
On 24 January 2025 - the traditional salon was celebrated for the 30th time, with 36 participants and readings in Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
On 1 June 2025 - UNSW celebrated 36 years UNSW by organizing a writing workshop. UNSW also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the "Villa des Crêts", venue of the Ex Tempore salons. The Tribune de Genève carried a full-page article on the celebration under the rubric "signé Genève".
On 23 January 2026 - the 31st Ex Tempore literary salon was celebrated at the Villa des Crets by 34 participants with readings in Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish -- and for good mesure Armenian, Igbo and Vietnamese (with translations!).

Notable contributors

Nedd Willard ^{[ citation needed ]}
David Walters ^[11]

Over the years Ex Tempore has published hundreds of poems in all six UN languages -- celebrating life, love, nature, harmony, heroism

here a taste:

ON PITCH

At first I loved in you the song I lent you. Wonder now what song you heard from me, so long ago. With time I learned to listen to your melody, your own, no borrowed tune. I listened as I turned to memories of you and me. It seemed then opportune to start with me in you.

But now we sing in harmony, for hence I love the you in me more deeply than the me in you.

Reference numbers

ISSN 1020-6604, OCLC 34360356

References

1 2 de Zayas, Alfred (February 2019). "Tapping United Nations literary talent" (PDF). UN Special. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
↑ "U.N. Special," January 2009, a notice by De Zayas on the 13th annual Ex Tempore salon.
↑ Jordan, Sarah (February 2020). "Happy anniversary!" (PDF). New Special. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
1 2 "Ex Tempore" (PDF). December 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
↑ "Ex Tempore XXII - UN Special | UN Special". Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
↑ "NewSpecial, revue du personnel des Organisations Internationales, Geneva". Newspecial.org. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
↑ Diva International
↑ "Diva International" . Retrieved 27 July 2015.
↑ "UN Library celebrates the founding of the UN Society of Writers 25 years ago | UN Special". Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
↑ Express and De-stress UN Special, retrieved 12 July 2020.
↑ "Photos". Geneva Writers Group. Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.

External links

Official website

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[:0-1] 1 2 de Zayas, Alfred (February 2019). "Tapping United Nations literary talent" (PDF). UN Special. Retrieved 12 June 2024.

[2] "U.N. Special," January 2009, a notice by De Zayas on the 13th annual Ex Tempore salon.

[3] Jordan, Sarah (February 2020). "Happy anniversary!" (PDF). New Special. Retrieved 12 June 2024.

[:1-4] 1 2 "Ex Tempore" (PDF). December 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2024.

[5] "Ex Tempore XXII - UN Special | UN Special". Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2011.

[6] "NewSpecial, revue du personnel des Organisations Internationales, Geneva". Newspecial.org. Retrieved 25 February 2023.

[7] Diva International

[8] "Diva International" . Retrieved 27 July 2015.

[9] "UN Library celebrates the founding of the UN Society of Writers 25 years ago | UN Special". Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2011.

[10] Express and De-stress UN Special, retrieved 12 July 2020.

[11] "Photos". Geneva Writers Group. Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.

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