‘Poets Translating Poets’  by the Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka 

‘Poets Translating Poets’ is a year-long project initiated in July 2015 by the Goethe-Institut Mumbai, with an aim to create a platform for poets from South Asia and Germany to translate each other’s works.

Contemporary poetry from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka will be translated into German by well-known German poets, while German poetry will be likewise translated into South Asian languages during the course of the project. By bringing together 48 poets from across 19 languages through literary encounters in several South Asian locations, this project promises to stimulate new literary networks and open new avenues for transcultural understanding. The project will also include readings, book fairs, photo essays and a sound installation in South Asia and Germany, and will culminate in a Poetry Festival in Mumbai.

One German, one Tamil and one Sinhalese poet have spent the last five days translating each other’s poems. This evening they present the fruits of their labour – as they read their translated poems, discuss their experience of translating each others work without knowing their languages, the difficulties faced in the process and the insights gained.

Poetry Readings and Panel Discussion 

German | Barbara Köhler 
Tamil | Somasunderapillai Pathmanathan 
Sinhala | Ariyawansa Ranaweera 

 
Friday, 4th December 2015, 7 pm.
Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka 
Goethe Hall
39, Gregory's Rd., Colombo 7
Tel: +94 11 2694562 or +94 11 4712636
program@colombo.goethe.org