Storytelling across borders: A London workshop

Storytelling across borders: A London workshop

As migrants, many of us translate between languages on a daily basis. But as we try to make ourselves understood in a new place, we find ourselves translating between cultures too.

Often, it’s the stories of our own lives that we want to tell – sometimes traumatic, sometimes ordinary – but we have to navigate the barriers of another language and culture to do so.

In this free workshop, co-hosted by Migrant Voice and the University of East Anglia, we’ll hear from three speakers who navigate these challenges in their life and work and discuss some examples of storytelling across borders.

We’ll then work on planning and creating our own pieces of writing, art or performance that can help us tell our stories – and have the chance to present them to the group at the end of the session.

Here are some of the questions we’ll be working on:

• What happens to a story when you tell it in a new language?
• How can I tell my story to people whose experiences are different to mine?
• Can poetry, music or other art forms help us tell these stories?

Speakers:

• Dr Petra Rau, Senior Lecturer in Modern Literature at University of East Anglia
• Antonia Lloyd-Jones, award-winning translator of Polish literature
• Amna Mahmoud, poet and writer originally from Sudan

Where? Migrant Voice, 200a Pentonville Road, London N1 9JP

When? Wednesday 20 March, 5:30-8:30pm

More info/to register: Email judith@migrantvoice.org. You can also register via Eventbrite here.

This workshop is funded by The British Academy.

TOP IMAGE: FRENCH ESCAPISM & the art of liquid painting, scott richard, torbakhopper, CC BY 2.0 (Flickr)