Workshop 2

The Poetics of the Tale

Yasmine Seale in conversation with Robert Irwin

6 December 2019

Room 106, School of Arts, Birkbeck College, University of London

The workshop “Poetics of the Tales”, with Yasmine Seale and Robert Irwin was divided into three parts: (1) Yasmine Seale will be introducing her work on the Nights and Robert Irwin responding within the context of the long history of the Arabian Nights translations; (2) participants will be looking closely at Yasmine Seale’s translations; and finally (3) participants will be involved with translating excerpts chosen by Yasmine Seale which will be performed in groups under her guidance.
The workshops are open to students of literature, creative writing, and translation studies as well as Arabic; knowledge of Arabic is useful but not essential.

Workshop material:

Part 1: “Translating the Nights: A History”, introductory talk by Robert Irwin

Presentation material:

Arabian Nights translation facts
Arabian Nights presentation 1
Arabian Nights presentation 2

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Part 2: “The Three Ladies of Baghdad”: Reading excerpts from Yasmine Seale’s translation of the Nights

Excerpts in Arabic and English:

Arabian Nights translation facts
Arabian Nights presentation 1
Arabian Nights presentation 2
Arabic text: Mahdi, Porter – Frame
Arabic text: Mahdi, Porter – Eldest lady
Arabic text: Bulaq, Porter
English translation: Burton
Yasmine Seale – Porter – Frame translation
Arabian Nights in the Fihrist (Arabic text)
Arabian Nights in the Fihrist (English translation)

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Part 3: Translation Workshop with Yasmine Seale

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Public event:

Yasmine Seale:

Readings and Conversations with Marina Warner & Wen-chin Ouyang