Department of Language and Linguistic Science

Poetry reading on Arabic culture and language

Posted on 18 November 2021

On Tuesday 23rd November 2021 Dr. Ahmed Khaleel (Dept. Language and Linguistic Science) will be participating as one of the special guests in STAR Poetry Night, an event organised by the University of York Student Action for Refugees.

The theme of the event is ‘Home’ which is a lot more than just a place. In the mission to make refugees feel 'at home' in the UK, it is a good question to ask what home is and what it feels like. In STAR Poetry Night, Dr. Khaleel will be reading some poems related to Arabic language and culture. He will also illustrate his recent project ‘The Book of Refugees: Memories, dreams and aspirations: a multilingual record’ where refugees share their stories in a few words. The main purpose of this project is to give the refugees a voice and the communities in which they live a chance to hear them. It creates a bridge that aims at raising awareness and reducing racism.

Poetry is a mirror that reflects many details in a few words. It is the ultimate exploitation of language. That is why it is not easy to translate, unless the translator is a mirror maker. This is the only way to translate the untranslatable. - Dr. Ahmed Khaleel, Dept Language and Linguistic Science

Event poster: STAR Poetry Night