A practical introductory level workshop where participants will use both Spanish and English to explore the problems and inspirations inherent in the task of translating the layered language of poetry. Of interest to poets and translators alike. Suitable for speakers of either language.
Course Outline:
The product of translation offers the monolingual reader a way of approaching a poem in a foreign language; the process of translation offers the poet/translator a chance to explore the original to a depth which even critical reading rarely achieves.
Here we are concerned with both product and process. We will look at the particular problems inherent in translating the "layered" language of poetry, together with the need to define realistic objectives and to balance considerations of form and content.
We will discuss existing translations, contrasting different versions and comparing with the original poems, as well as working together on a number of new translations. We will work on team translations of our own works and also consider the inspirational aspect of translation, the possibilities afforded by re-translations and the resulting poetry "chains". The workshop will be an experimental and experiential exploration of texts in both Spanish and English.
Can you translate a poem well if you don't like it?
Can a translation be better than the original?
Mentor
Gwyneth Box writes poetry and non-fiction in both Spanish and English and is an experienced commercial and literary translator. She has had photo-reports and articles published in international magazines and has won a number of UK poetry awards. As well as translations for web, screen and stage, she has translated ten children's books for the independent Spanish publisher, Topka, who have recently published her own bilingual children's picture-poem book Bubbles / Pompas. She is a qualified teacher, a Swanwick Writers' Summer School tutor, and a member of the Society of Women Writers and Journalists.
