Workshops and talks

I regularly give talks and seminars, and run practical workshops, for adults and children.

Schools

Ukrainian Spotlight workshop with Anna Walden, Stephen Spender Trust
  • creative translation workshops including for total beginners: these combine code-breaking and creative writing with a taster of a new language, a new culture, and a new perspective. These tie in well with topics in history, geography and PBE (philosophy, beliefs and ethics), MFL, art and English
  • language taster sessions in a range of world languages
  • inspired language learning: creative ways to learn a new language beyond the classroom
  • careers in languages: where languages can take you
  • global and inclusive reading: children’s literature in translation and reading the world

Professional development

  • translator training: business skills for (aspiring) translators; how publishing works for translators; AI, copyright and literary translation
  • teacher training: exploring creative translation in the classroom; diversifying/decolonising curricula for English, MFL and humanities
  • librarian training events: diversifying/decolonising school libraries; preparing for World Kid Lit Month, Refugee Week, Black History Month and other inclusive, global reading events for young people
  • publishing industry events: introduction to literary translation in children’s publishing; publishing diverse and inclusive books for young people, including racially diverse protagonists, LGBTQ+, or disabled/neurodivergent characters

My workshops and talks in schools (all ages from early years to 18) are aimed at encouraging young people to see the enjoyment and value of languages, especially of their home or heritage language, and to broaden students (and teachers’) awareness of inclusive, global literature for young people.

One project I’m particularly proud of included teacher CPD along with inclusive cultural resource and curriculum development, another passion of mine: I worked with the Stephen Spender Trust and National Centre for Writing to create a set of materials for primary school teachers in Norfolk to run creative translation activities with their classes, based on a Brazilian picture book and poem.

“We are continuing with the project and have just started translating the poem. They still really enjoy it  – it has worked well with everyone, but some of the children that are SEN in the class have thrived on it, I think because they are on a much more equal level as the others haven’t a clue about Portugese either!”

Mike Bidder, primary class teacher

Past events

Interactive picturebook translation at Cheltenham Literature Festival

I’ve given seminars and workshops, or taken part in professional panels at many institutions and organisations including: Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Cheltenham Literature Festival, London Book Fair, Stephen Spender Trust, CILIP: the Library and Information Association, National Centre for Writing, Festival of Education, Chartered Institute of Linguists, Cork World Book Fest, Gŵyl Haf Festival of Translated Literature and Arts, Shadow Heroes, Cambridge Russian School, and SCILT: Scotland’s National Centre for Languages.

I’ve given workshops and seminars at the following universities: Bath, Bristol (Bristol Translates), Edinburgh, Emory, City, University of London (Translate in the City), Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Oxford, Oxford Brookes, Reading, UCL, University College Cork, and Warwick (Warwick Translates).

Get in touch

Please get in touch to discuss an event: ruth.ahmedzai.kempATgmail.com