Upcoming Translation Events (Virtual & In-Person): December 2023

L-R: "Gold” by Rumi, translated by Haleh Liza Gafori; "Saha" by Cho Nam-Joo, translated by Jamie Chang; "Emerald Wounds" by Joyce Mansour, translated by Emilie Moorhouse

Saturday, December 2:

Of all the Languages I Speak, I Own None - UNDERTOW / Sing Lit Station | Two of the PTC’s UNDERTOW Nigeria poets, Arimoku Obaigbena and Pẹ̀lúmi Obasaju will be in conversation with Aaryan Khan and nor, both emerging poets from Singapore, connected via live link. Through readings, video and conversation, the two groups will explore their relationships with language and poetry from two different postcolonial perspectives. This event celebrates the culmination of the Poetry Translation Centre's latest UNDERTOW programme, working with poets aged 16-26 from Nigeria and its diaspora to explore their diverse languages and relationships to them. Hybrid (In-person and virtual). Hosted by the Poetry Translation Centre. More info here. Starts at 7:00 a.m. (ET)

 

Tuesday, December 5:

Tribute to Milan Kundera | The Czech Center New York prepared an evening dedicated to Milan Kundera. Part of the program is the screening of the documentary film by Czech director Miloslav Šmídmajer "Milan Kundera: From Joke to Insignificance", which will be followed by a discussion moderated by prof. Cynthia Allen (NYU) with prof. Michelle Woods (SUNY New Paltz). In-person. Hosted by the Czech Center New York. More info here. Starts at 6:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Wednesday, December 6:

Colloquy #10: Translating Avant-Garde Women | Please join us for the tenth installment of Colloquy: Translators in Conversation, on translating avant-garde women, with readings and discussion from Alex Braslavsky, Christina Svendsen, and Emilie Moorhouse, and hosted and moderated by Madhu Kaza. Colloquy is an event series presented by World Poetry Books in collaboration with Montez Press Radio and partnering bookstores which invites translators to engage with live audiences in an exploration of the art of translation. In-person. Hosted by the Brooklyn Public Library. More info here. 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. (ET)

Gold Rumi—with Haleh Liza Gafordi, Shahzad Ismaily, and friends | Join Bowery Poetry Club for an uplifting and transportive evening with the poetry of the beloved Persian sage and mystic, Rumi. Acclaimed translator, vocalist, poet, composer Haleh Liza Gafori, will share translations from her book Gold (New York Review Books/Penguin Random House) and from the upcoming volume of translations as well as excerpts of the original text in Persian—both recited and sung, with music by the GRAMMY-nominated multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, and cellist Marika Hughes. With artwork by Neda Kazemifar. In-person. Hosted by the Bowery Poetry Club. More info here. Starts at 7:30 p.m. (ET)

 

Friday, December 15:

Reading at Molasses Books | Elina Alter, Bela Shayevich, Timmy Straw, and Matthew Shen Goodman will be reading at Molasses Books (770 Hart Street, Brooklyn) on December 15th. In-person. More info here. Starts at 8:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Tuesday, December 19:

Sleepless Traveler with Tim Moore and Louis Fratino | Ugly Duckling Presse will be presenting Sleepless Traveler with Tim Moore and Louis Fratino at Printed Matter. Sleepless Traveler is a collection of poems by the Italian poet Sandro Penna, with English translations by Jahan Khajavi and Tim Moore. The side-by-side translation of Penna’s lyric poetry is coupled with illustrations by the American artist Louis Fratino—who also contributed a brief original text—as well as an essay on Penna by the Italian poet Nico Naldini, translated into English. In-person. More info here. Starts at 6:00 p.m. (ET)

 

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