The International Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee (TLCR) of PEN International are hosting their 6th Annual Poetry Marathon, amplifying voices from diverse linguistic communities.
Today I listened to a moving and urgent poem written and performed in Kalaallisut by Julia Pars (Greenland) “Where are you, world leader?” (Link opens YouTube – poem is 2.34 mins)
You can tune in every Saturday for a new poem and listen back to previous Poetry/Video Marathons. English, Spanish, and French translations provided.
On their website PEN International explain the background to the International Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee:
Founded in 1978, the PEN International Translation and Linguistic Rights Committee (TLCR) works to defend linguistic diversity and promote translation as a vital act of cultural solidarity. From its early efforts to expand access to world literature to its pioneering advocacy for “minoritised” languages, the Committee has consistently challenged the political and cultural forces that marginalise languages and the communities that speak them.
You can read more about PEN International and indeed, consider joining Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann which aims to promote friendly co-operation among writers in every country in the interests of literature, responsible freedom of expression and international goodwill.
Shauna Gilligan Writer 