Delighted once again to be a part of Highlight Arts! We’re very excited to be working with four poets on a poetry translation project in Lahore, Pakistan together with Sang-e-Meel publishers and supported by British Council.
We are coordinating a week of poetry translation workshops with two poets based in Lahore, and two poets based in Glasgow. Following the workshops new poetry produced will be presented in the beautiful Al Hamra Hall, on the evening of Wednesday 26th November at 5.30pm
Afshan Sajjad is an educator and poet. She is currently the Head of the Urdu Department at Lahore American School, where she has been teaching High School students for the past eight years. She has widely published her poetry in Urdu magazines, and is the author of an Urdu poetry book by the name of ‘Jo Dil Pe Guzarti hai.’ She has also served as a judge of poetry recitation competitions, participated in various Mushaayeras and has written Urdu songs as well as scripts for some plays in school. She holds a masters degree in Urdu from Punjab University, Lahore. https://afshansajjad.wordpress.com/
Dr. Khalid Javaid Jan is a writer and documentary filmmaker who was born in Lahore. He is the author of 5 books of poetry and 15 books on medical and political subjects. He also writes a column on political and social issues in the largest Urdu-language newspaper — “Daily Jang”. His book “Main Baghi Hoon” was translated in India into Hindi, Punjabi and Manipuri Languages. A graduate of 
Rawalpindi Medical College, with a degree in Law and a master degree in Political Science and Urdu Literature, he was a known student leader, political activist and poet. His poetry took a turn when the military dictator, Gen. Zia Ul Haq, imposed Martial Law in Pakistan in 1977. At the time when Zia hanged the elected Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Dr. Jan wrote his best known poem – “Main Baghi Hoon” (I am a rebel). This soon became a poem of resistance against oppression and social evils. As a result he was imprisoned and tortured by the military regime, with his arm and leg broken. This poem is still widely read among students, labourers and political activists. http://tribune.com.pk/story/370390/dr-khalid-javed-jan-dare-to-think-dare-to-write/
Jim Carruth was born in 1963 in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, and grew up on his family’s farm near Kilbarchan. He has had six well-received pamphlet collections of poetry since his first, Bovine Pastoral in 2004. He has won both the James McCash poetry competition and McLellan poetry prize and was awarded a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship in 2009. In 2005 he was one of the founder of St Mungo’s Mirrorball, the network of Glasgow poets which he chairs. He is also the current artistic adviser for Stanza – Scotland’s International Poetry festival. He has been involved in many poetry projects, including editing an anthology for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and having his words etched in stone as part of Andy Scott’s Kelpies sculpture. He was appointed Glasgow Poet Laureate in July 2014 in succession to Liz Lochhead and Edwin Morgan. His most recent collection was Prodigal which was published by Mariscat in 2014. www.jimcarruth.co.uk
Kathrine Sowerby is a Glasgow based poet with a background in fine art. A graduate of Glasgow School of Art’s MFA programme and Glasgow University’s MLitt in Creative Writing, her poems and translations have most recently been published in Gutter, Northwords Now, New Writing Scotland, Poetry Salzburg Review, Aesthetica,Yonder Awa, A Bird is not a Stone and online at Anomalous Press and her book length poem ‘Unnecessarily Emphatic’ was transcribed for theatre and performed in New York. She has been a runner up in the Edwin Morgan and the Wigtown Poetry Competitions and received a 2012/13 New Writers Award from the Scottish Book Trust. Kathrine co-runs tell it slant, Glasgow’s poetry bookshop, and curates and makes fourfold, a pocket-sized publication.http://kathrinesowerby.com/
In addition to the poetry translation event we will be taking part in the following events in Lahore:
Nov 21st
The Last Word, in collaboration with the British Council, is proud to present “Poems in a time of Conflict: A collection of short poetry films from Syria, Iraq and Lebanon“.
The event will feature screenings of short films from Highlight Arts featuring contemporary poets from Syria, Iraq & Lebanon. These films, by award-winning Scottish-Iranian director Roxana Vilk, showcase the resilience, humour and talent of poets working in regions of conflict and provided the inspiration for Al Jazeera’s acclaimed ‘Poetry of Protest’ series. Highlight Arts organise festivals, events and workshops to uncover stories about people and places affected by conflict. They have collaborated with artists from Syria, Lebanon, Iraq & Afghanistan in order to present a different perspective on those countries and cultures beyond the common coverage of them in traditional media. Tonight there will be a showcase of short films featuring poets from Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, followed by a discussion and Q & A with Highlight Arts coordinators Ryan Van Winkle and Dan Gorman.
Venue: The Last Word, Lahore
Nov 25th
Highlighting Different Perspectives: Art & Culture in Regions of Conflict
Highlight Arts organise festivals, events and workshops to uncover stories about people and places affected by conflict. Since 2007 they have collaborated with artists from Syria, Lebanon, Iraq & Afghanistan in order to present a different perspective on those countries and cultures beyond the common coverage of them in traditional media. They cross borders to challenge stereo-types, encourage dialogue, facilitate empathy and understanding which can be shared and felt by audiences around the world. In this conversation Highlight Arts organisers Ryan Van Winkle and Dan Gorman will discuss our work with artists from around the globe.
Venue: Punjab University, Lahore
If you like great films about parts of the world that don’t tend to cross our radar, Highlight Arts has just the thing. On Tuesday 14 April in the Red Lecture Theatre in Summerhall I’ll be hosting Highlight Arctic an evening of films, slides, stories and discussion on the landscape, ecology and culture of the High North, at a time when the Arctic region is experiencing enormous and rapid transition.
On Tuesday 17 March I’ll be performing a collaborative piece with Neil Pennycook as part of 
This Thursday 26 February I’ll be performing alongside Alan Bissett, Anne Donovan and the inimitable William Letford at Summerhall for the 
Just a quick reminder that Viewmaster will be live on location at StAnza Poetry Festival in just a few short days! Myself and Dan Gorman will bring words and sounds to you in person on Saturday 7 (11am-2pm; 3.30-6.30pm; 7-7.40pm) and Sunday 8 March (11am-2pm). Please do come and join us, StAnza is going to be awesome this year and we’d love to see you there.
Next Friday, 23 January, I will be participating in not one, but TWO great nights out in Edinburgh, supporting the 
Very pleased to be part of the reading team for the Poetry School’s 
Delighted to announce that Viewmaster will be live and reading to you in person at the 
Delighted to invite you to the basement of the Forest Café to warm your toes and treat your ears for the Decemberest Culture Laser Live of 2014, 
