Mother tongue and metaphor. A conversation on language and literature in three different countries

Mother tongue and metaphor. A conversation on language and literature in three different countries

Since the mid-1990s, more than 80 authors and artists have come to Norway through the Cities of Refuge scheme. This international network provides sanctuary for authors, journalists and artists persecuted for their work in their homeland.

Cities of Refuge authors and artists in Norway come from more than 20 countries and represent a diverse group which writes in a number of languages and a variety of genres – novels, non-fiction, drama, poetry and journalism – as well as being editors, translators, publishers and so forth.

Three of these authors meet here for a conversation on literature and language in their original homes. Have the metaphors they use in their mother tongue accompanied them to Norway?

The participants are Selma M. Yonus (poet and journalist from Irak, mother tongue Arabic), Fatemeh Ekhtesari (poet, artist and midwife from Iran, mother tongue Persian) and Abduweli Ayup (lingvist, poet and mother tongue activist from China/East Turkestan, mother tongue Uyghur).

With Hege Newth, general secretary of Norwegian Pen, as moderator, the conversation will be conducted in English.

This event will be streamed to YouTube.