On one of those days when the weather in Kolkata is likely to be at its best, with winter making way for spring, a large group of literature lovers will gather at the iconic Maidan for an open-air workshop on the translation of well-known poems on the city into English.
Called Maidane Anubade Mahanagar (The City in Translation at the Maidan), this workshop-cum–translators’ meet will be held on January 25 and is being organised by Calcutta Comparatists 1919, a collective devoted to comparative literature, in collaboration with Goethe-Institut, Kolkata, and Anubad Patrika, a respected literary magazine.
“Through this event we aim to discuss and understand the translational trajectories of the city and offer a hands-on practice session through the translation of select poems on Kolkata. We seek to move away from the traditional notion of translation workshops conducted in indoor academic settings, and instead adopt a more informal, open-air discussion format to provide interactive engagement between seasoned translators and those new to the field,” said Ayan Ghosh, a doctoral research scholar associated with Calcutta Comparatists 1919.
Apart from Rabindranath Tagore, the acclaimed poets whose works will be taken up at the workshop include Shankha Ghosh, Nirendranath Chakraborty, Shakti Chattopadhyay, Sunil Gangopadhyay, Birendra Chattopadhyay, and Purnendu Pattrea.
