Online, Free: 5 by Ghassan Zaqtan, Including Novella ‘Describing the Past’
“To write a memory I gathered a memory / and to green the marshes I sprinkled friends/ over the salt marshes, and was at a loss/ with myself”
7 Arabic Poetry Books Forthcoming in Translation: From Adonis to Zaqtan
There seems to have an general uptick in Arabic poetry forthcoming in English translation. These are the six (correction, SEVEN) on ArabLit’s radar.
Ghassan Zaqtan’s ‘Describing the Past’: Instead of Dream-logic, There Is Memory-logic
“The 84-page work echoes the dreaminess of Kazuo Ishiguro′s ‘The Unconsoled’; instead of dream-logic, however, there is memory-logic.”
‘Mahmoud Darwish Awards’ Go to Ghassan Zaqtan, Elias Khoury, and Alice Walker
Each winner was awarded $25,000.
Majority of 2016 Neustadt Finalists Are Women; Ghassan Zaqtan Makes List a Second Year
Seven of the nine finalists for the 2016 Neustadt Prize are women — the highest percentage yet for the forty-five-year-old prize.
Ghassan Zaqtan Candidate for 2014 Neustadt Prize
Palestinian poet Ghassan Zaqtan is one of nine candidates for the prestigious Neustadt Prize.
Fady Joudah and Ghassan Zaqtan Win 2013 Griffin Poetry Prize
“Like a Straw Bird It Follows Me: and Other Poems,” by Ghassan Zaqtan, trans. Fady Joudah, has won this year’s international Griffin Poetry Prize.
UPDATE: Ghassan Zaqtan’s Visa Issue Resolved
Presumably Canada will come around on the issue of a visa for Palestinian poet Ghassan Zaqtan, who along with translator Fady Joudah is on the shortlist for the 2013 Griffin Poetry Prize. Hopefully, this will be before the prize ceremony next month
Ghassan Zaqtan’s ‘Like a Straw Bird It Follows Me’ on Prestigious Griffin Shortlist
Other books on the “international” shortlist are: Liquid Nitrogen by Jennifer Maiden, Night of the Republic by Alan Shapiro, and Our Andromeda by Copper Canyon Press. Books on the Canadian shortlist are David McFadden’s What’s the Score, James Pollock’s Sailing to Babylon, and Ian Williams’ Personals. The winner will be announced June 13.
Fady Joudah on ‘Othering’ Himself to Translate Ghassan Zaqtan
One of the final questions posed to Zaqtan was about whether he preferred any one of his poems over others. After a short pause, Zaqtan responded that each poem is “bint zamanha” – a product of its time, like the memories he has devoted himself to renovating.
Ghassan Zaqtan’s US & UK Tour (Finally) Happening
Last April, an acclaimed translation of Palestinian poet Ghassan Zaqtan’s tenth collection, Like a Straw Bird It Follows Me, was released by Yale University Press. As fits such an occasion, the press scheduled a multi-city tour of the U.S. by both author and his award-winning poet-translator, Fady Joudah. But:
Poet Ghassan Zaqtan (Not) Reading in San Francisco
As far as I know, Ghassan Zaqtan still doesn’t have a visa for the US. He was supposed to be spending the first two weeks of April promoting Like a Straw Bird It Follows Me (2012, trans. Fady Joudah). From a reader: Yesterday [April 5], I heard Fady Joudah read his translations of Ghassan Zaqtan’s poetry at … Continue reading Poet Ghassan Zaqtan (Not) Reading in San Francisco
