Writing Workshop: Comparing Arabic and English Poetry

In this workshop, participants will learn more about Arabic poetry compared to western poetry, and how writing poems is viewed in both cultures. We will use comparative works to illustrate and illuminate the fundamental basic differences between Arabic and English poetry. Recommendations for Arabic poets, and the possibilities of ‘translation’ and translating poetry between the two languages will be offered.

Our Stories, Ourselves Writing Workshop in Partnership with The Friends of the St. Paul Library

FACILITATOR:

Soliman Soliman was born in Sudan to a Nubian tribe called Sultan’s Stone. He grew up in Cairo, Egypt, a city of ten to twelve million people that is rich in diversity with folks with different backgrounds, beliefs, cultures and traditions. By the age of 16, he had been to four countries. He was influenced by African/Arabic traditions, Japanese anime and eastern cultures. These personal experiences and moments helped develop a curiosity in him to navigate between cultures, norms, social landscapes, societies and to exhibit these intersections through different mediums of art. Mainly, Poetry, painting, photography, and haircutting. These mediums aid him to grasp the movements, diverse cultures, traditions, and translate them to a common denominator.