Translation is not merely a technical process—it is an art form, a delicate balancing act between linguistic fidelity and creative interpretation. This debate between two translators - Marta Eloy Cichocka and Keith Payne - will spotlight the nuanced work of poetry translators and the complex decisions they make while bringing poetry across linguistic and cultural boundaries.
Initially conceived as an event for translation students and literary enthusiasts, this debate has found a home at Poetry Expo 2025, where the intersection of languages and poetic voices takes center stage. Join us for an engaging conversation that will not only shed light on the translator’s craft but also deepen our appreciation for the fluidity and power of poetry across borders.
Author
Marta Eloy Cichocka
Marta Eloy Cichocka – Polish poet and photographer, habilitated literary researcher, translator of works by Calderón, Racine, Juarroz, Zurita, Topor and Tkaczyszyn-Dycki. She has published seven poetry books (in Kraków, Warsaw, Zaragoza and Bogotá) and works on literary theory on the poetics and strategies of the contemporary historical novel (in Paris and Berlin). She has also collaborated as playwright and translator with Michał Zadara, Wojtek Klemm, Ignacio García and Norbert Rakowski. Winner of first prize in the Halina Poświatowska poetry competition
(2004), I Beca-Residencia Internacional SxS Antonio Machado (2016) and the Krakow UNESCO City of Literature Award (2021). She is the originator and coordinator of the MANUFAKTURA POEZJI series, translation workshops engaging authors, and the series of polyphonic poetry recitals REPUBLICA POETICA. She has participated in poetry festivals in Poland, France, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, and Mexico.
Author
Keith Payne
Keith Payne is the author of ten collections of poetry in translation and original poetry, most recently Savage Acres from Dedalus Press (April, 2025) and Building the Boat (Badly Made Books, 2023), as featured on BBC Radio 3’s The Essay. Whales and Whales, from the Galician of Luisa Castro, was published by Skein Press in April 2024. Curator of the Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill Poetry Exchange Ireland/Galicia., he shares his time between Ireland and Galicia.
