Baghdad: Al-Ma’mun House for Translation and Publishing held a seminar today, Tuesday, entitled “How Do We Translate Children’s Poetry?”, as part of the activities of the 27th Baghdad International Book Fair, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities. The seminar featured the Director General of the House, Ishraq Abdul-Adel, the poet Jalil Khaz’al, and the translator Shaker Hassan Radhi, and was moderated by journalist Laith Ghalib. Also in attendance were the Director General of the Iraqi House of Fashion, Najwan Faris, and a number of cultural figures and interested individuals.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Director General of Al-Ma’mun House emphasized that the seminar coincided with the 46th anniversary of the House’s founding, recalling its role in enriching the translation movement and bringing world literature to Iraqi and Arab readers through the efforts of generations of translators. She pointed to the diversity of translation fields undertaken by the House, including literature, economics, politics, anthropology, and children’s literature, while simultaneously affirming its commitment to continuing its cultural and intellectual mission and overcoming challenges.

For his part, poet Jalil Khazal discussed his experience translating his poems into English, while translator Shaker Hassan Radhi reviewed the most prominent challenges facing poetry translation, particularly preserving rhythm and lyricism, citing examples from the translation of Shakespeare’s works.

The symposium also featured readings in English of several of Jalil Khazal’s poems, performed by talented children, along with interventions and discussions that highlighted the mechanisms and challenges of translating children’s poetry.