Poetry translation at Cambo and StAnza poetry festival 2013

  • Matilda Södergran, Robyn Marsack, Arvis Viguls and Ifor Ap Glyn outside Cambo
  • Snowdrop tapestry at Cambo
  • Snowdrop teacups at Cambo
  • Matilda and Magnus working at Cambo
  • Matilda, Robyn, Charlotte and Magnus getting ready for the StAnza event
  • Snowy Cambo
  • Snowdrop love, Cambo

In March 2013 poets Charlotte Runcie (Scotland/UK), Ifor Ap Glyn (Wales/UK), Magnús Sigurðsson (Iceland), Matilda Södergran (Finland/Sweden) and Arvis Viguls (Latvia) spent a week translating each other’s poems at a translation workshop organised by Literature Across Frontiers and the Scottish Poetry Library (SPL)  in Cambo in Scotland (a stately home famous for its snowdrops). The poets performed at StAnza Poetry Festival in St Andrews on Saturday the 9th of March.

“Last week, I learned that we don’t have enough words for ‘sea monster’. In fact, we don’t even have one.” Read Scottish poet Charlotte Runcie‘s blog about her experience: Poetry translation, snowdrops and pigs

“We’re coming up with familiar questions – ‘Is the grandfather in this poem paternal or maternal?’ (many languages have different nouns for these)  – and less familiar: apparently in Swedish the word for ‘bone’ is the same as the word for ‘leg’, so ‘bones’ in general (as distinct from skeletons) are a bit problematic.” Read workshop leader and SPL director Robyn Marsack‘s blog about the workshop.