Slovenian-Scottish Poetry Exchange: a journey through smaller and minority languages

Participating poets

Ken Cockburn

Beth Frieden

David Kinloch

Barbara Korun

Iva Jevtić

Milan Šelj

Prevajalska delavnica slovenske in škotske poezije

Na povabilo in s podporo sklada Edwin Morgan Trust iz Škotske ter Javne agencije za knjigo RS in Centra za slovensko književnost sta se pesnika Iva Jevtić in Milan Šelj udeležila delavnice prevajanja škotske in slovenske poezije v Edinburgu in Glasgowu od 2. do 8. novembra 2025. S pesnikoma Beth Frieden in Davidom Kinlochom so prevajali poezijo iz galščine in škotščine v slovenščino ter iz slovenščine v galščino in škotščino prek angleških prevodov. Prevajalsko delavnico je moderiral pesnik in prevajalec Ken Cockburn.

V letu 2026 nadaljujejo svoje delo v Danah pri Sežani od 7. do 11. junija, pridružila pa se jima bo tudi pesnica Barbara Korun. Na delavnici bodo avtorji podrobno prevajali dela drug drugega. Center za slovensko književnost bo med delavnico organiziral pogovor o pisanju in prevajanju poezije v manjših jezikih in branje v knjižnici v Sežani. Načrtovan je tudi obisk Muzeja slovenskega jezika v Štanjelu.

V petek, 12. junija zvečer sodelujejo na mednarodnem literarnem festivalu Živa književnost v Ljubljani, kjer bodo predstavili svoja dela in nekaj prevodov, ki so jih ustvarili na delavnici. Dogodek bo vodil organizator delavnice, Brane Mozetič.

Slovenian and Scottish Poetry Translation Workshop

At the invitation and with the support of the Edwin Morgan Trust from Scotland and the Public Book Agency and the Centre for Slovenian Literature from Slovenia, poets Iva Jevtić and Milan Šelj attended a Scottish and Slovenian poetry translation workshop in Edinburgh and Glasgow from the 2nd to 8th November 2025. With poets Beth Frieden and David Kinloch, they translated poetry from Gaelic and Scots into Slovenian and from Slovenian into Gaelic and Scots via English translations. The workshop was moderated by a poet and translator Ken Cockburn.

In 2026, they continue their work in Dane near Sežana from 7th to 11th June, and will be joined by another poet, Barbara Korun. At the workshop, the authors will translate each other's work in detail. During the workshop Center for Slovenian Literature will organize a discussion about writing and translating poetry into smaller languages and a reading at the library in the near-by town of Sežana. A visit to the Museum of the Slovenian Language in Štanjel is also planned.

On Friday 12th June the authors will participate in the international open-air literary festival Živa književnost (Live Literature) in Ljubljana, reading their own works and some translations they have made during the workshop. The event will be hosted by the workshop organizer, Brane Mozetič.

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You are warmly invited to join us for a discussion about writing and translating in smaller languages and dialects featuring Slovenian and two minority Scottish languages: Scots and Scottish Gaelic, with music by Gaelic singer Beth Frieden.

Timed to coincide with the fifth Edwin Morgan Trust International Translation Exchange, this event will feature readings by the six poets — Ken Cockburn, Beth Frieden, Iva Jevtić, David Kinloch, Barbara Korun and Milan Šelj – as they reflect on the process of literary translation, offering insights into the creative and collaborative journey behind their work, and exploring the cultural and linguistic contexts that shape their writing.

The Edwin Morgan Trust International Translation Exchange is a biennial series that brings together leading international poets to collaborate with Scottish poets through workshops and public readings. This two-part exchange in Edinburgh (November 2025) and Dane-Sežana (June 2026) is organised with and supported by the Centre for Slovenian Literature and the Slovenian Book Agency.

This event will be in English and Slovenian.

Programme

16:00 – 16:45 Guided tour of the Museum of the Slovenian Language

17:00 – 18:15 Panel discussion and readings

18:15 – 18:30 Gaelic songs by Beth Frieden

18:30 – 19:30 Reception

Organised and supported by the Municipality of Komen, ORA Krasa in Brkinov, the British Embassy, the Edwin Morgan Trust, the Centre for Slovenian Literature and the Slovenian Book Agency.

Ken Cockburn

Ken Cockburn is a poet and translator based in Edinburgh, where he worked for many years at the Scottish Poetry Library. He was the first writer-in-residence at the John Murray Archive, National Library of Scotland, and was awarded the Arts Foundation Fellowship for Literary Translation 2008

Ken Cockburn (1960) živi in dela v Edinburgu že več kot trideset let. Ken je pesnik, prevajalec, urednik, igralec in vodič pesniških tur po Edinburgu. V glavnem prevaja iz nemščine, delal je v gledališču, veliko pa nastopa in predstavlja poezijo vsepovsod po Škotskem. Je tudi nadvse izkušen moderator pesniških in prevajalskih delavnic.

Beth Frieden

Beth Frieden is an American poet who writes in English and Scottish Gaelic. Her debut pamphlet, Acair san talamh / Anchor in the land, was published by Stewed Rhubarb Press in 2023. She received a New Scottish Writer’s Award in 2021 from the Scottish Books Trust and was in the 2023-24 cohort of Genesis Emerging Writers.

Beth Frieden (1986) je ameriška pesnica in igralka. Piše v angleščini in škotski gelščini. Njena prva knjižica, Acair san talamh / Anchor in the land, je bila izdana pri Stewed Rhubarb Press leta 2023. Leta 2021 je prejela nagrado New Scottish Writer’s Award pri Scottish Books Trust, bila pa je tudi del skupine Genesis Emerging Writers 2023–24. Njene pesmi so bile objavljene v revijah Steall, Gutter in v New Writing Scotland, svojo poezijo pa je brala na festivalu StAnza, Celtic Connections in na otvoritveni slovesnosti svetovnega prvenstva v kolesarstvu. Trenutno pripravlja svojo prvo pesniško zbirko.

David Kinloch

David Kinloch is the author of six collections of poetry, most published by Carcanet Press, the latest being Greengown: New and Selected Poems. In 2022, David received a Cholmondeley Award from the Society of Authors in recognition of his contribution to poetry.

David Kinloch (1959) je avtor šestih pesniških zbirk; večina jih je izšla pri nadvse ugledni založbi Carcanet Press, tudi zadnja zbirka z naslovom Greengown: New and Selected Poems. Je dobitnik številnih nagrad in priznanj. Diplomiral je iz francoščine in angleščine na Univerzah v Glasgowu in Oxfordu. Velik del svojega delovnega življenja je preživel kot profesor francoščine na univerzitetni ravni. Leta 2003 se je posvetil poučevanju kreativnega pisanja; trenutno je častni profesor poezije in kreativnega pisanja na Univerzi v Strathclydu. David je so-ustanovitelj The Edwin Morgan Trust, katerega je vodil od leta 2019 do 2022. Je tudi pobudnik mednarodnega pesniškega natečaja in nagrade za poezijo pod okriljem Edwin Morgan Trust.

Barbara Korun

Barbara Korun (1963, Ljubljana) has published eight poetry collections and received several Slovenian and international awards and nominations. She also writes reviews and essays and actively promotes poetry written by women. Her all-round creativity has been recognised both at home (Mira Award, 2020) and abroad (Regina Coppola Award, 2016).

Barbara Korun (1963) je izdala osem pesniških zbirk in zanje prejela več slovenskih in mednarodnih nagrad – nagrado za prvenec (1999), zlato ptico (2011), Veronikino nagrado (2012), Premio Leandro Polverini (2014, v prevodu Jolke Milič), nagrado za najboljšo prevedeno pesniško zbirko leta na Slovaškem (2018), nagrado Lvivskega knjižnega sejma za najbolj inovativno oblikovano knjigo. Njeno delo je bilo objavljeno v 15 samostojnih knjižnih prevodih in preko 60 antologijah v več kot 20 jezikih. Od leta 2013 do januarja 2026 je organizirala redna mesečna srečanja ob branju novih zbirk slovenskih pesnic Pesnice za pesnice, za kar je leta 2020 dobila nagrado Mira Slovenskega centra PEN, leta 2016 pa mednarodno nagrado Regina Coppola.

Iva Jevtić

Iva Jevtić (1976) is a poet, translator, and literary theorist. Her first poetry collection Težnost [Gravity] was published by Apokalipsa in 2005. In 2023, KUD Zrakogled published her second poetry collection Milost [Grace], which won the 2023 Veronika Prize for best poetry collection.

Iva Jevtić (1976) je pesnica, prevajalka in literarna teoretičarka. Po študiju angleške književnosti na Univerzi v Edinburgu (2001) in magisteriju iz angleške književnosti na Univerzi v Sussexu (2002) je leta 2008 na Filozofski fakulteti v Ljubljani doktorirala iz literarnih ved na temo srednjeveške mistične književnosti; Leta 2005 je izšla njena prva pesniška zbirka Težnost; leta 2023 je pri KUD Zrakogled izšla njena zbirka Milost, ki je bila istega leta nagrajena z Veronikino nagrado.

Milan Šelj

Milan Šelj (1960) is a poet and translator. He has lived and worked in London since 1992. To date, he has published five collections of poetry with ŠKUC-Lambda in Ljubljana. His collection Tracing the Unspoken, translated by the author Harvey Vincent, was published by A Midsummer Night’s Press in New York in 2019. His collection The Stroke of a Touch is due to be published by ŠKUC-Lambda this year. He also writes for children. His second illustrated collection of children's poems, Rhymes with Wind (ZTT, Trieste, 2024), was nominated for the 2024 Kristina Brenko Award for best Slovenian children's book. His poems have appeared in numerous translations in magazines and anthologies. He promotes Slovenian literature at home and abroad, translating works for publication in various countries. He has also translated the poetry collection To the Cold by Romeo Mihaljević, published by Aleph.

Milan Šelj (1960), je pesnik in prevajalec. Od leta 1992 živi v delu v Londonu. Doslej je izdal pet pesniških zbirk – vse pri založbi ŠKUC-Lambda v Ljubljani. Tracing the Unspoken v prevodu avtorja in Harveyja Vincenta je izšla leta 2019 pri založbi A Midsummer Night’s Press v New Yorku. Njegova zbirka Zamah dotika (ŠKUC-Lambda, 2026) izide letos. Piše tudi za otroke. Njegova druga ilustrirana zbirka otroških pesmi Rime na veter (ZTT, Trst, 2024) je bila nominirana za nagrado Kristine Brenk za najboljšo slovensko otroško knjigo leta 2024. Njegove pesmi so izšle v številnih prevodih v revijalnem tisku in antologijah. Doma in po svetu promovira slovensko literaturo in prevaja; njegovi prevodi so izšli v antologijah, prevedel pa je tudi pesniško zbirko Romea Mihaljevića, Do mraza, ki je izšla pri založbi Aleph.