The PTC Presents the First Translations of Shuar Poetry into English
The final workshop of 2011 was a very special occasion. Nataly Kelly travelled all the way from Boston USA to join us for a workshop on the poetry of María Clara Sharupi Jua from Ecuador, a poet who writes in Spanish and in Shuar, one of the ancient indigenous languages of the rainforest in which she grew up.
Nataly first approached Sarah Maguire in July 2011 to ask if there was any way which the PTC could help in translating María Clara's poetry. Sarah told Nataly that unfortunately the PTC has limited resources and we need our translators to come along to workshops - which, to Sarah's astonishment, Nataly promised she would do!
And so in December 2011, Nataly flew over from Boston specially to be with us, which made the workshop a truly remarkable occasion. It was fascinating to hear Nataly talk about the Shuar and María Clara. We are enormously proud - and honoured - to have had Nataly go to so much trouble to introduce us to the work of such an extraordinary poet. And, of course, it was a huge pleasure to translate her poems, three of which 'Dreams', 'Like Red-Hot Lava' and 'Make Me Drunk with Your Kisses', you can now read on our website - the very first time that poetry in Shuar has been translated into English!
Published 16/12/2011
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