Discover translation. Open to all.

The PTC’s poetry translation workshops offer an inclusive, collaborative form of literary appreciation and cultural discovery through the act of translating. The workshops are open to everyone and participants don’t need any prior knowledge of the language, literature or culture that is translated. The process is thought provoking, with participants rethinking what it means to translate, and opening up wider questions about creativity, culture and language.

“It’s a bigger thing than poetry—it’s communicating across the globe. Poetry is a wonderful way to do that.”

What to expect at a PTC workshop

Our workshops are guided by expert translators and facilitated by leading English-language poets. Ahead of each workshop the translator prepares a guide translation to allow everyone to participate in the process, and during the session they are on hand to offer guidance on the language and poetry. The poet facilitator draws out contributions from the group to create a final collaborative translation.

The workshop starts with the poem being read in the original language so everyone can hear its cadence and music, at the end the brand-new English translation is read aloud for the first time.

Basic details

Our regular online workshops are hosted on Zoom, with each workshop taking place over two 90-minute sessions separated by a week. Sessions generally run from 6.30pm to 8pm UK time.

The cost of running these sessions is £45 per person. However, the PTC wants to ensure that our workshops are accessible to all, so participants are invited to pay what they can afford to attend.

Translators and facilitators

Our workshops are led by skilled and experienced translators and facilitators. Facilitation is provided by a roster of professional poets who guide participants through the process of constructing the group translation. The translators we work with are a mix of emerging and established professionals in prose and poetry translation. Often native speakers, they are on hand to provide expert insight on the language and culture being explored, and advice on the nuance and intricacies of the original text.

Why translate with us

Join like-minded poetry lovers from across the world to discover new poetry and different cultures, share insights and language skills, working together to open up a poem in its original language and reassemble it in English. We have participants from across the UK and the world including Egypt, Germany, India and Iraq and the USA. The workshops are perfect for creative collaboration, and feeling engaged and connected to the world at large.

Collaborative Translation

Join the PTC’s collaborative translation workshops to be part of a vital and necessary act of creative exchange. The workshops allow you to access the poetry of another culture without needing to speak the language. In fact, no language skills are needed, just curiosity and a love of words.

At our online and in-person sessions, we travel the world together, enjoying the endless nuances and creative discoveries of the art of translation. The process is both creative and analytical, a challenging problem where there is no one solution. So, in order to understand and translate poetry, we explore cultural and social customs, literary traditions and radical innovations and dig deep into each poets’ influences and influence.

This is a great environment to discover a new language or culture or even an opportunity to share your language and your culture with like-minded poetry fans. Many of the people who attend workshops stay in touch with us and each other. Some workshop regulars have gone on to publish poems or have careers in translation.

Translating poetry is an open process, where the journey is often as important as the outcome, and everyone brings something different to the table. It might be knowledge of the source language or culture, an ear for rhythm, nuance and language more generally or you might be able to offer an anecdote, fact or perspective that shines new light on the subject of the poem.

As one workshop participant put it: ‘It’s a bigger thing than poetry, it’s communicating across the globe, and poetry is a wonderful way to do that.’

Partnerships

The Poetry Translation Centre also partners with other organisations to create bespoke workshops. Our collaborative translation sessions are effective team-building exercises, helping to foster a sense of community and togetherness while exploring and celebrating the cultural and linguistic diversity of your workplace. We have worked with Manchester Metropolitan University, The Embassy of Kazakhstan in London, the Israac Somali Community Association in Sheffield and many others.

Our unique workshops give everyone a chance to be creative and draw on skills that might otherwise never find an expression in the workplace. Translating together gives everyone the chance to express a greater breadth of their life experience and get to know their colleges in a new way. The translation process itself emphasises empathy, communication and problem-solving. Plus, the workshops result in a new translation that the group has created together, a tangible legacy with true cultural value.

We can tailor our poetry translation workshops to your team’s needs and work environment, operating either in person or online. Contact Bern Roche Farrelly at bern@poetrytranslation.org to find out more.