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Connecting east and west
Arabic poetry translation aims to ‘foster harmony and connectedness’ between east and west and between generations
When most North Americans think of the Middle East, they envision the violent and unsophisticated caricatures of the Islamic world presented by western media. This evening is a step toward correcting the absence of positive cultural inspirations.
Cranbrook resident Ghada Alatrash shares her English translations of lyrical, sophisticated, compassionate Arabic poems by Lebanese-born American poet Youssef Abdul Samad.
In translating these poems, Ghada Alatrash, who is Canadian and Syrian, notes, “My children and the poets are amalgams of the East and the West, a blend of the old culture left behind in our homelands and of the new Western culture in which we now live. I am endeavouring to participate in the building of bridges across cultures, hoping to connect between my children’s sensibilities and my own, between an English-speaking reader and an Arab poet, and ultimately, between the west and the east.”
This evening of poetry at Key City Theatre on April 19 is accompanied with special guest pianist Ivana Ferraro. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are available at the Key City Theatre box office or charge by phone at 250-426-7006.
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