Writing and Translating “Minor” Literature with Bachtyar Ali & Kareem Abdulrahman
450 Jane 鶹 Way, Building 260, 鶹, CA 94305
252
Join us for a workshop with author and translator duo Bachtyar Ali and Kareem Abdulrahman. Ali has written over 40 books and is one of the most prominent contemporary intellectuals from Iraqi Kurdistan. Abdulrahman’s translation of Ali’s I Stared at the Night of the City (Periscope, 2016) was the first ever translation of a Kurdish novel into English.
The workshop will provide insight into what it means to write literature in Sorani Kurdish, and what it means to translate it into the major language of world literature.
Participants will be introduced to Abdulrahman’s translation process, as we collectively work through passages that allow us to think through the challenges, joys, and frustrations of the task of the translator—from the first draft to the published book.
This workshop is open to everyone and does not require any prior knowledge of Kurdish.
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Bachtyar Ali, Bliss Carnochan International Visitor at the 鶹 Humanities Center
Bachtyar Ali is one of the most prominent contemporary intellectuals from Iraqi Kurdistan. His novels have been translated into Persian, Arabic, Turkish, German, Italian, French and English, a renown very few authors writing in the Kurdish language enjoy. He has written nearly 40 books, including 12 novels, as well as a number of essay books and collections of poetry. In 2017, he was awarded the Nelly Sachs Prize in Germany, joining past recipients such as Milan Kundera, Margaret Atwood and Javier Marías. He is the first author writing in a non-European language to do so. In March 2024 he was honored with the prestigious German award Hilde Domin Prize for literature in exile. He lives in Cologne, Germany.
Kareem Abdulrahman, International Visitor at the 鶹 Humanities Center
Kareem Abdulrahman is a translator and Kurdish affairs analyst. From 2006 to 2014, Kareem Abdulrahman worked as a Kurdish media and political analyst for the BBC, where translation was part of his job. He translated Bachtyar Ali’s I Stared at the Night of the City into English (UK; Periscope; 2016), making it the first Kurdish novel to be translated into English. His second translation, The Last Pomegranate Tree, also by Ali, came out in January 2023 (Archipelago Books). He is also the Head of Editorial at Insight Iraq, a political analysis service focusing on Iraq and Kurdish affairs. He lives in London.