A look back on the first Manchester Translation series (2023)
On March 23rd 2023, the first Manchester Translation series was hosted! Created by Dr Brian Sneeden and organised at the Manchester Poetry Library, the series aimed to celebrate World Poetry Day (21st of March) by shedding light on an often-overlooked aspect of poetry (and literature in general!): translated poetry.
The series got off to a great start with our two renowned guest speakers: Palestinian poet Najwan Darwish, and translator Kareem James Abu-Zeid. At the time, Najwan had published eight poetry collections which had been translated into over twenty languages. His latest work, Exhausted on the Cross, translated from Arabic into English by Kareem, received the Sarah Maguire Prize for poetry in translation in November 2022. We were very excited to hear all about it!
The event began with a delicious catered reception, during which guests got to know each other. After that, it was time to listen to the talented duo talk about the collaborative relationship in writing and translating Exhausted on the Cross. Did Najwan have any input in the English translation? Was staying true to the original text complicated when translating the meaning? Why is translated literature more important than ever in our current geopolitical climate? Our guest speakers, (and the audience, too!) had lots to say about it.
We were very fortunate to have Najwan and Kareem share their opinions on the importance of translated poetry. Overall, the first series was a huge success, and we could not wait to host the next one!
About the Speakers
Najwan Darwish is a poet from Jerusalem, Palestine. Darwish has published nine poetry books advocating for justice and peace, which have been translated into over twenty languages. He received the 2022 Sarah Maguire Prize by the Poetry Translation Centre for his poetry collection Exhausted on the Cross.
Kareem James Abu-Zeid is an acclaimed and award-winning translator, editor, teacher, writer, and scholar. Working across multiple languages, his goal is to break linguistic boundaries and promote Arabic literature worldwide.
About the Host
Brian Sneeden is a poet, literary translator, and editor. His poetry and translations from the Modern Greek have received many awards and recognitions, including the Iowa Review Award in Poetry, the NEA Literature Translation Fellowship, the World Literature Today Translation Award for Poetry, and the PEN/Heim Translation Grant. His most recent translation, Giannisi’s Chimera, is forthcoming from New Directions in 2024. He is a lecturer in creative writing and publishing at Manchester Metropolitan University.
