DUAL Poetry Podcast

Karin Karakaşlı is an Armenian-Turkish poet who lives in Istanbul and writes in Turkish. As well as poetry she pens regular columns and opinion pieces for independent media outlets and writes fiction, non-fiction and children’s literature. The deep pain and scars left by Turkey’s negationist state discourse on the Armenian genocide of 1915 are visible throughout Karakaşlı’s oeuvre and are omnipresent in her poetry. The Turkish state’s continual suppression of the forming of a common memory affects people not only of Armenian descent but from many communities such as the Greeks and the Kurds. This denial is an example of how, government after government, those in power in Turkey have consistently erased the history of whole parts of their population. It is in this context of past and present violations of basic rights, freedoms of expression and human dignity that Karin Karakaşlı seeks to exist with her poetry.

Canan Marasligil, from her introduction to Karin's Chapbook History-Geography

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Direct download: r_KARIN_KARAKASLI_DESERTED.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:19am UTC

The poem was originally one of the songs in the play Wadnahaan far ku hayaa but it became so overwhelmingly popular that, eventually, it completely overwhelmed performances of the play itself. As readers will discern, the reason for its popularity - and why it enraged the military dictatorship of the time - is because its vivid, skilful metaphors are open to a variety of interpretations. This poem, which led to Hadraawi's five-year imprisonment in Qansaxdheere, goes to the very heart of his genius.

WN Herbert, Poet-translator

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Direct download: The_Killing_of_the_She-Camel_by_Hadraawi_3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:45pm UTC

Karin Karakaşlı’s pain can be deeply felt in most of her poems. However alongside this we encounter an enormous amount of love for the geography she lives in, especially the city of Istanbul. Karakaşlı has an almost synergetic relationship with this city, as we can see in this
poem ‘Galata’ – with the history embedded in every stone, every
building and every landscape.

The poem is about the poet's love of a medieval stone tower in Istanbul, Turkey.

If you enjoy this podcast and would like to support the Poetry Translation Centre please visit poetrytranslation.org/support-us

Direct download: r_KARIN_KARAKASLI_GALATA.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:16pm UTC

Today's podcast poem is 'Aural ' by David Huerta from Mexico.  The poem is read first in English translation by Jamie McKendrick and then in Spanish by David. 

This week we are celebrating #MediaPoems on www.poetrytranslation.org.

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Direct download: PP_David__Aural_3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:05am UTC