I run literary translation workshops, exploring the craft and practice of translating prose and poetry. My workshops usually focus on contemporary or classic fiction, literary non-fiction, or children’s books. I also run practical workshops helping graduates and emerging translators develop their business and networking skills.
For primary and secondary schools, I also offer creative translation and language discovery workshops, which combine code-breaking and creative writing with a taster of a new language, a new culture and a new perspective on history and geography.
I also give seminars and have spoken in several panel discussions about international literature, publishing and translation. I speak regularly at careers events for students, early-career translators and publishing professionals.
Creative translation workshops: schools
- Reading in Translation Book Club at Colmore Junior School, Birmingham: as part of a research project at the University of Newcastle, I gave a workshop on translating children’s literature and writing book reviews of translated junior fiction. The Year 6 pupils’ book reviews were published at World Kid Lit
- Festival of Education, Wellington College, 2021: I spoke about the principles and benefits of creative translation in the primary classroom at the panel event Creative Translation for All: Bringing authentic and inclusive texts into MFL and English classes, with Katrina Barnes and Charlotte Ryland, Director of the Stephen Spender Trust
- Gŵyl Haf Festival of Translated Literature and Arts, June 2021: introduction to creative translation from Arabic. Hour-long online workshop for Year 5 pupils at a primary school in Monmouthshire
- Stephen Spender Trust: since 2019, I have collaborated with primary school teachers as part of the Creative Translation in the Classroom project, a new iteration of the Translators in Schools programme. Working closely with teachers at three primary schools in Buckinghamshire, we have designed and delivered various workshops and lesson plans which introduce pupils to creative translation as an exercise in code-breaking, global cultural awareness and creative writing all in one. The aim of this project is to embed translation as a creative classroom practice that can fulfil various aspects of the curriculum including literacy, MFL, art, coding, history, geography, RE and PSHE, all within an inclusive environment that celebrates the school’s multilingual landscape. See here for more details of the schools workshops I offer
- Shadow Heroes: I led a series of Arabic taster workshops under the title It’s All Arabic To Me! in October 2019. These workshops gave secondary school students an insight into creative translation, considering the ethical and cultural dimensions of the translation process; full glossary and support materials provided so no prior knowledge necessary of Arabic needed.
- Cambridge Russian School: I ran a translation workshop on Yulia Yakovleva’s The Raven’s Children, February 2019
Creative translation workshops: adults
- Manchester in Translation, February 2019: I taught a day-long workshop on Arabic literary translation, focusing on texts by female Arabic writers from Palestine and Egypt
- Warwick Translates: I was the Arabic tutor on this literary and creative translation summer school at Warwick University, 6-10 July 2019
- Translate in the City: I was the Arabic > English translation tutor at this literary translation summer school at City, University of London, 2017 (the precursor to Warwick Translates)
- Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Edinburgh, 2017, 2018 and March 2019: literary translation workshop for MA Advanced Arabic students
Reading in translation and diverse literature for young people
- CILIP: the Library and Information Association, 2021: as part of the Working Internationally for Libraries events series, I gave a one-hour webinar on diversifying and internationalising library collections
- Cork World Book Fest, 2021: I helped curate two events focusing on literature in translation for children and young adults, and read from my translation of The Magical Bookshop as part of one of the events
- University College Cork, Reading Across Cultures series, 2021: took part in an online panel discussion on reading children’s literature in translation with Jennifer Arnold and Helen Wang
Seminars and panels on literary translation and publishing
- University of Bath, 2021: What is literary translation? A one-hour interactive workshop exploring the role of a literary translator against the publishing landscape
- Centre for Book Cultures and Publishing, University of Reading, 2020: Around the World in 18 Books: An introduction to literary translation in children’s and YA publishing – my seminar is now available online with notes
- Starling forum at the University of Glasgow: Children’s Literature Translation, with a focus on Russian literature for young people
- London Book Fair, 2019: I spoke about World Kid Lit, translation and diversity in children’s publishing at this panel on Diversity in Publishing Children’s Books
- Anthology Extended, a literary festival at independent bookshop The Suffolk Anthology, 2019: I chaired Translation as Collaboration, a panel discussion with literary translators Nashwa Gowanlock and Jessica West
- London Book Fair, 2018: participated in a panel on the challenges of translating nonfiction
- London Book Fair, 2016: spoke on a panel about children’s literature in translation, focussing on the three Arabic picture books I translated for Outside in World’s Reading the Way project
- British Library, 2017: I spoke about queer literature in translation from Arabic and Russian, on a panel event, Translating Gay Identities, chaired by translator in residence Jen Calleja
Professional training and CPD for translators
- Stephen Spender Trust, Multilingual Creators training, 2021: together with Rahul Bery, I have planned and delivered a 15-hour course training translators and writers to design and deliver creative translation and multilingual creative workshops in secondary schools in Manchester, Newcastle and Norwich. Multilingual Creators: Me and My City is a partnership between the Stephen Spender Trust, National Centre for Writing, New Writing North and Comma Press
- University of Bath, University of Bristol, 2019: Took part in ITI WRG careers event for early-career freelance translators and postgraduates studying translation and interpreting
- Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Edinburgh, 2018: postgraduate seminar on routes into freelance translation and maintaining a successful portfolio career as a linguist
- ITI Western Regional Group, 2016: Seminar about the practicalities of a career as a literary translator (if you are a member of ITI, please see the ITI Bulletin winter 2016 issue for a detailed write-up of this event)
Language careers: advice for secondary and university students
I’ve curated and hosted lots of fun, practical workshops at secondary and middle schools, aimed at encouraging students to see the practical application of languages and to take a language GCSE at Key Stage 4, or helping broaden language students’ horizons at sixth form. I also regularly speak to undergraduate and postgraduate
- Various events relating to careers in languages at Oxford University, Cambridge University, the University of Bath and the University of Edinburgh
- I condensed my 15+ years of experience at a language careers speed-dating event at Cheltenham College and a careers seminar at Oundle School, both 2016
- Introductory Arabic taster sessions (including role play activities for total beginners) for European Day of Languages at various schools including Cheltenham Ladies College and Bredon Hill Academy, 2009-2013
- I ran a practical introduction to interpreting with UN interpreter Helen Reynolds-Brown for AS students at The Cotswold School, 2009
