Modern Poetry in Translation
Modern Poetry in Translation is a literary magazine and publisher based in the United Kingdom. The magazine was started by Ted Hughes and Daniel Weissbort in 1965. It was relaunched by King's College London in 1992. The college published it until 2003. It publishes contemporary poetry from all around the world, in English.
Its first issue was a landmark. Writers previously unknown to the West were introduced by Hughes and Weissbort. The list included Miroslav Holub, Yehuda Amichai, Ivan Lalić, Zbigniew Herbert, Czesław Miłosz, Andrei Voznesensky, and Vasko Popa.
Founder and editor Weissbort headed The University of Iowa translation workshop program for decades. Of his many books, Weissbort edited Translation: Theory and Practice: A Historical Reader that was published by the Oxford University Press, edited with Astradur Eysteinsson. The London Guardian newspaper wrote that Weissbort founded Carcanet Press. The Wall Street Journal excerpted a Weissbort translation of Missing Person by Patrick Modiano after Modiano received the Nobel Prize for Literature.
On the Stanford University site of The Book Haven by Cynthia Haven, in an obituary of Daniel Weissbort, Daniel Weissbort is defined as a "master translator." Also on this Stanford University web site, Weissbort is called a champion of translation. Weissbort has genius in translation, obituary of Weissbort in Translationista.
To celebrate the magazine's 50th anniversary, a microsite was developed to present the first issue of Modern Poetry in Translation in its entirety, including high resolution scans of the original print document. The microsite was expanded to a full website at www.modernpoetryintranslation.com in 2018. The original anniversary microsite, and first issue, is available at modernpoetryintranslation.com/home-50 via the Wayback Machine.
From 2012 to 2017 Sasha Dugdale was the editor of Modern Poetry in Translation, overseeing a redesign and publishing sixteen issues of the magazine as well as its fiftieth anniversary anthology Centres of Cataclysm. Clare Pollard was editor from 2017 to 2022. From issue No. 3 2022 the editor has been Khairani Barokka until November 2023. Managing Editor Sarah Hesketh edited Bearing the Burden of Sameness: Focus on Care. From July 2024 the magazine is edited by Janani Ambikapathy.
Magazine issues
Salam to Gaza: Focus on Dissent and ResistanceBearing the Burden of Sameness: Focus on Care
Fresh and Salt: Focus on Water
Call the Sea a Poet: Focus on Malta
Measureless Melodies: Focus on Vietnam
Wrap it in Banana Leaves: The Food Focus
The Previous Song: Focus on Somali Poetry
The Fingers of Our Soul: The Bodies Focus
Slap Bang: Focus on German-Language poetry
If No One Names Us: Focus on Mexico
Clean Hands: Focus on the Pandemic in Europe
Origins of the Fire Emoji: Focus on Dead Poets
The World for a Moment: Focus on Czech Poetry
Dream Colours: Focus on Japan
I Have not Known a Grief Like This: Focus on Extinction
The Illuminated Paths: Focus on Poets of the Maghreb
Our Small Universe: Focus on Languages of the United Kingdom
In a Winter City: Focus on Hungary and Ted Hughes
The House of Thirst: Focus on LGBTQ+ Poetry
Profound Pyromania: Focus on Caribbean Poetry
War of the Beasts and the Animals: Russian and Ukrainian Poetry
A Blossom Shroud: Focus on the Poets of Shubbak
Songs of the Shattered Throat: Focus on the Languages of India
The Blue Vein: Focus on Korean Poetry
One Thousand Suns: Focus on the Languages of Africa
The Great Flight: Refugee Focus
The Tangled Route: Uruguayan Focus
I WISH... Children's Focus:
Scorched Glass: Iranian Focus
The Singing of the Scythe: Poetry of The First World War
The Constellation: Poetry International
Twisted Angels: Brazilian Focus
Secret Agents of Sense: Polish Focus
Between Clay and Star: Romanian Focus
Strange Tracks: Focus on Dutch Poetry