Xasan Daahir Weedhsame is visiting the UK this October to tour the UK and mark the publication of his epic poem 'Catastrophe' translated by Daljit Nagra and Martin Orwin, so the poet himself will be attending this workshop. We will be looking at a new poem by Weedhsame with his long-term translator Martin Orwin and the award winning UK poet Clare Pollard.

There is no need to know the language being translated, just come along!

Xasan Daahir Weedhsame is widely regarded as one of the most promising young Somali poets of his generation. Thanks to his close relationship with leading poet Maxamed Xaashi Dhamac 'Gaarriye', Weedhsame is steeped in the long and complex history of Somali poetry and, as a notably gifted practitioner, is committed to continuing its traditions.

Martin Orwin is currently Senior Lecturer in Somali and Amharic at SOAS, he has taught there since 1992. He's published numerous articles on Somali language and poetry, and has carried out a good deal of pioneering research in the Horn of Africa. Martin has worked closely with a number of Somali poets including Gaarriye and Hadraawi and is a long-term supporter of the Poetry Translation Centre.

Clare Pollard is an award-winning UK poet, She has published four collections with Bloodaxe Books, latest is Incarnation. She has extensive experience as a translator, co-translating Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf for the PTC. Starting in 2018 Clare will be the Editor of Modern Poetry in Translation magazine.

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