Poetry Translation Centre

The Poetry Translation Centre is an organization dedicated to translating poetry from Africa, Asia and Latin America. It was founded by the British poet Sarah Maguire in 2004. Its work has been championed by such British poets as Nick Laird, and it is one of the Arts Council England's regularly funded organisations.

The PTC's website currently includes translations of 159 poems by 44 poets from 21 countries written in 19 different languages – from Amharic to Zapotec. The poems are given in three different versions: in the original language, as a basic 'literal' translation and as the final version in English, thus giving a valuable insight into the translation process. The site also features recordings of poems read in English, Arabic, Kurdish, Portuguese, Somali, Tajik and Urdu, together with videos of readings.

The PTC has organised two World Poets' Tours. The first, in 2005, introduced Partaw Naderi (Afghanistan), Gagan Gill (India), Toeti Heraty (Indonesia), Coral Bracho (Mexico), Maxamed Xaashi Dhamac 'Gaariye' (Somaliland) and Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi (Sudan) to UK audiences. In 2008, Corsino Fortes (Cape Verde), Maxamed Xaashi Dhamac 'Gaariye', Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi and Farzaneh Khojandi (Tajikistan) took part in the Centre's second World Poets' Tour, which also featured the poetry of Kajal Ahmad (Kurdistan) and Noshi Gillani (Pakistan), who were unable to travel to the UK.

A registered charity, the Poetry Translation Centre's trustees are Lord Victor Adebowale, CBE, Fiona Sampson, the current editor of Poetry Review, and Gary McKeone, Chair of the Poetry Archive.

British poets who have contributed translations have included Carole Satyamurti, Choman Hardi, David Harsent, Jane Duran, Jo Shapcott, Katherine Pierpoint, Lavinia Greenlaw, Mark Ford, Mimi Khalvati, Sarah Maguire, Sean O'Brien, and W.N. Herbert.