Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf‘s 'Our land' is a classic 'pastoral' poem, nostalgic for the beauty and harmony of the Somali countryside, water, flowers, birds, trees, camels, all feature. It is a vision of peace and plenty.

The poem was written in London in 2011 many years after Asha Lul had left the Somali countryside.

The poet herself, and many people who hear the poem live in cities and don't have direct access to the idyllic way of life described in the poem.

This makes the poem feel like a shared but distant memory.

Asha’s Friend and longtime translator Clare Pollard will read the English translation. Then you will hear Asha read in the original Somali

We are thrilled to announce that Asha Lul's collection 'The Sea-Migrations' has been named the Poetry Book of the Year by The Sunday Times.

You can buy The Sea-Migrations here.

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

Listen to the 'The Lost Button' by Fatena Al-Gharra, Translated from the Arabic by Anna Murison and Sarah Maguire.

The poem is read first in English by the poet-translator Sarah Maguire and then in Arabi by the poet Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi.

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

Bejan Matur is an award-winning Kurdish-Alevi poet from Turkey writing in Turkish and Kurdish. Her poetry has been translated into
more than twenty languages. She currently lives in London.

Her poems were translated by Jen Hadfield and Canan Marasligil.

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

Last week we received the sad news that the PTC's founder and Artistic Director, Sarah Maguire, had died. Over the years she produced many wonderful translations for the PTC.

This week to celebrate her work we are releasing this extended podcast featuring 11 poems by Partaw Naderi from Afghanistan, that Sarah translated with her good friend and Yama Yari. 

Each poem is read first in English translation by Sarah and then in Dari by Partaw himself.

A fuller reflection of Sarah's life and work will follow soon. If you have memories you would like to share with us please write to erica@poetrytranslation.org.

‘The Mark’ by Asha Lul Mohamud Yusuf is addressed directly to the men ruling of Somalia / Somaliland, urging them to find peace, to bring clans together and to raise the country up.

As with many of her poems, it begins with an intro about how Asha Lul hasn't recited for a while but now she must speak.

The main body of the poem lays out her arguments.

Finally, it ends with a summary asking God to bring about a better world that leaves the reader with a hopeful tone.

First, you will hear Clare Pollard’s English Translation and then Asha Lul reading the original Somali

This month sees the publication of her first English Language collection published by Bloodaxe Books.

The collection's title The Sea-Migrations or, Tahriib in Somali, refers to the search for a better life in another country.

You can buy The Sea-Migrations here.

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