Due to the tube strike, very reluctantly we had to postpone our workshop on the poetry of Mostafa Ibrahim, a young Egyptian poet who shot to fame during the ‘Arab Spring’ that began on 25th January 2011, so this rescheduled workshop was eagerly anticipated.
Following discussion with Mostafa’s translator, Nariman Youssef, we decided not to try to translate Mostafa Ibrahim’s famous poem, ‘Manifesto’, that was written in response to the ‘Arab Spring’ in 2011; composed in Egyptian dialect, ‘Manifesto’ is a polemical and powerful call to arms that inevitably would seem clumsy in English translation.
Instead we translated one of his lyric poems, ‘Balloons’, that was published in Mostafa’s first collection of poems, Western Union, Haram.
Our poetry translation workshops are one of the PTC’s core activities. Through them we’ve first encountered some of the poets we’ve gone on to translate, publish and record at length. A significant number of the poets who’ve visited the UK to take part in our tours were introduced to us by a translator bringing their poems to a workshop.
The workshops are open to anyone who has the skills to translate the poetry of a living African, Asian or Latin American poet with an established reputation in their own language. You don’t need to send us your translations before you join us.
If you’ve not attended one of our workshops before, please read this before booking a place.
Workshop places are limited so advance booking is essential.
Workshops are free, but if you can afford it, you are welcome to make a donation via PayPal (just click on the button below as usual and choose Donation).
