Worte zwischen Welten – Warum Übersetzung politisch ist

Translating texts is not just about transferring words from one language to another. Entire worlds, discourses, and linguistic habits cross the threshold between languages, between the sayable and the unsayable. This process is always political—especially when it comes to languages whose status in Germany is often greatly devalued and whose literary significance is little recognized.

At Habibi Kiosk, poets Lina Atfah and Sam Zamrik talk about their literary practice in Germany: How and in which language do you decide to write in a political climate where Arab culture is usually part of heated debates? How do you defend your complexity in a discourse that seeks to simplify and often exclude?

Together we will read from Lina Atfah’s “Grabtuch aus Schmetterlingen” (2022) and Sam Zamrik’s “Ich bin nicht” (2022). The evening will be moderated by Nabila Abdel Aziz.