Nirmalendu Goon is one of the most popular Bangladeshi poets known for his accessible verse. Part of the generation of poets of 1960s, Goon’s poetry contains stinging criticism of the nouveau riche and touching descriptions of the contrasting fate of the masses. This is our second workshop looking at Goon’s work with Shamim Azad.
Nirmalendu Goon was born into an undivided India in Kashbon in present-day Bangladesh. An avowed Marxist, Goon has also written poems urging an upheaval of the poor against the rich. He also has written a number of poems on important personalities, including Rabindranath, Sheikh Mujib, Lenin, Shakti Chattopadhyay and others.
Shamim Azad is a British bilingual poet, storyteller and writer of Bangladeshi origin. Azad’s work ranges from Bangladeshi to European folktales. Her performance fuses the lines between education and entertainment and her workshops are rooted in Asian folk, oral traditions and heritage. Azad has published books including novels, collections of short stories, essays and poems in both English and Bangla.
This season is part of our Spring 2020 season of workshops. At each of our collaborative translation sessions, we start with a poem by a respected living poet from Asia, Africa or Latin America and produce an English translation. This hands-on prices gives participants a chance to experience the fine balancing act of the translation process and helps these poets find a new audience in a second language.
There is no need to know Bengali to take part in this workshop. Just come along and join in!
