We’re pleased to offer a free, 2-hour, online workshop led by the talented Lisa Williams! Sign up here!
Please be mindful when booking. This is a workshop for writers of colour based in Scotland.
Lost in Translation: what does it mean?
What are all the possible meanings of lost in translation? Is there a phrase in the language or dialect that you, or your family, use that doesn’t easily translate into Scots or standard English? Are we able to push the concept of translation even further, and translate experiences of non-English languages, if not language itself? How do we get lost in translation, whether we know these languages fluently, or whether we are connected to them in a potentially more fragmented way? This workshop explores the treasures we discover when we translate (or try to translate!) from one language/dialect to the other, from one linguistic experience to another – especially when it just doesn’t quite work, or it seems to sound completely out of place!
It’s also a particularly interesting time for food discussions at the moment with topics such as food distribution, shopping/stockpiling and definitions of terms like ‘essential’ foodstuffs appearing regularly in the media as well as in many peoples thoughts and worries.
The Details
- A max of 15 spaces, open to writers in all genres
- This workshop will be hosted online using Webex (instructions will be sent to participants closer to workshop date)
- We’ll discuss a selection of poems and short stories/other prose pieces and use them as a prompt for our own creative responses
- A chance to think about “translation” and thinking about what it means to be “understood”
- Prompts based on linguistic translation, but also the translation of experiences and/or objects
- The workshop will include writing exercises and time to share/receive feedback
- The workshop includes a 20-min break
- All SBWN events will adhere to our safer spaces policy.
About Lisa
Lisa runs educational programmes in Black History and curates a range of live arts events across Scotland. She regularly chairs literary events, has written for a range of publications and taught creative writing for all ages. She recently completed an MA in Arts, Festival and Cultural Management and is an Honorary Fellow in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh.
