Charlotte Van den Broeck Events
‘This joint volume translation introduces the young Belgian poet to English-language audiences with the rich tonal and emotional range that the breadth of two collections allow for. Van den Broeck’s poems stretch from playfulness to introspective and melancholy moods, and her uncanny imagination characterises every single one of her poems. Chameleon | Nachtroer marks the development of a strange and distinctive voice, which comes through powerfully in David Colmer’s astute translation.’ – Helena Fornells, Asymptote Journal
Belgian poet Charlotte Van den Broeck's first English translation of her poetry, Chameleon | Nachtroer, translated from the Dutch by David Colmer, was published by Bloodaxe in February 2020. Charlotte gave brilliant launch readings Newcastle and at StAnza International Poetry Festival in St Andrews in early March of that year.
Charlotte is renowned for her distinctive performances, which she is ‘searching for the speakability and experience of oral poetry’. She reads in both English and Dutch. A film of her reading six of her poems is posted below. Her virtual Meet the World event for the National Centre for Writing is now available on YouTube.
Helena Fornells' in-depth review of Chameleon | Nachtroer in Asymptote Journal is here.
PAST EVENTS
Wednesday 27 May, 7-8pm, virtual event via the National Centre for Writing with New Dutch Writing
Meet the World: Charlotte Van den Broeck & David Colmer
After first making her mark as a compelling performer, Belgian poet Charlotte Van den Broeck was acclaimed as one of Europe’s most innovative and original new voices in poetry following the publication of her first collection Chameleon. Her first English translation combines her debut volume with her second book Nachtroer (2017), its untranslatable title the name of an all-night shop in Antwerp where she lives.
Writing on identity, bodies and language, Chameleon | Nachtroer is translated by David Colmer, who joins Charlotte at this event alongside chair Sasha Dugdale. They discuss the art of translation, in particular who to convey the 'speakability' of Charlottle's poetry so that she can perform it in English. The readings from the two collections were placed either side of the discussion.
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'Reading Charlotte Van den Broeck’s recent Bloodaxe collection makes it clear to the reader exactly why she is acclaimed as one of Europe’s most innovative and original new voices in poetry.' - Lizzie Husum, DURA (on Chameleon | Nachtroer) . The full review on DURA (Dundee University Review of the Arts) is online here.
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Charlotte Van den Broeck reads from Chameleon | Nachtroer
Pamela Robertson-Pearce filmed Charlotte Van den Broeck reading (or speaking) English translations of six of her poems, followed by the original poems in Dutch, at Letterenhuis in Antwerp in December 2018:
[28 May 2020]
