Events

2024
  • Panelist on "Collaborative Grammars: Poetry's Practical and Political Lives" at the annual ALTA conference, with Hai-Dang Phan, Mayada Ibrahim, and Cindy Juyoung Ok. Milwaukee, WI. Oct. 26.

  • Leading "Translating Culture and Image in Poetry: A Workshop" at the Woodland Pattern Book Center in Milwaukee, WI. Oct. 26. 

  • Leading the Guided Morning Meditations at the annual ALTA conference, Milwaukee, WI. October 26-28.
 
  • Invitee to the inaugural Heim Colloquium, "They're Not Children: Imagined Readers in Contemporary Literary Translation at Indiana University, with Bill Johnston, Meg Arenberg, Karen Emmerich, Julia Sanches, Corine Tachtiris, and Russell Valentino. Bloomington, Indiana, October 4-5. 
 
  • Panelist on "Translation as Resistance", with Emek Ergun, Kavita Bhanot, and Fady Joudah, part of the Cheuse International Writers Center's Day of Translation, in conjunction with George Mason University's Women and Gender Studies program. Online. Sept. 30. 
 
  • Panelist on "A Celebration of Best Literary Translations 2024", with Jane Hirshfield, Noh Anothai, Kola Tubosun, and Edith Adams. University of Southern California virtual event. Sept. 26.
 
  • Craft Class: "Difficult Choices: Translating Cultural Context", at the Bread Loaf Translators Conference. Ripton, VT. June 16.
 
  • Public Reading at the Bread Loaf Translators Conference, with Emily Raboteau and Kazim Ali. Ripton, VT. June 15.    
 
  • Lecture: "Pleasing to the Ear? Silence and Sound in Literary Translation", at the Bread Loaf Translators Conference. June 13. 
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  • Leading the Poetry Workshop at the annual Bread Loaf Translators Conference, Ripton VT, June 10 to 16. 
 
  • Leading a multilingual workshop in poetry and prose for the American Literary Translators Association. Online. April 22.
 
  • "From the French, But Not From France: A Bilingual Reading of Francophone Poems" at the annual AWP conference, with Conor Bracken, Nancy Naomi Carlson, Helene Cardona, and Todd Fredson. Kansas City, February 8.   
2023
  • ​"Shitholes of the World Unite: A Poetry Reading in Translation" at the Steinfeld Warehouse Community Arts Center, Tucson, AZ, Nov. 11. 

  • "Poetry's Geographies: Poet-Translators Re-Mapping the World". Panel at the annual ALTA conference, with Michelle Gil-Montero, Katherine Hedeen, and Johannes Goransson. Tucson, AZ, Nov. 11.
 
  • "Layers of Displacement: On Translating Diasporic Poetries". Panel at the annual ALTA conference, with Seth Michelson, Michelle Har Kim, Edith Adams, and Jeannine Marie Pitas. Tucson, AZ, Nov. 11. 
 
  • Reading at the ALTA Off-Site Translation Party with World Poetry Books and Action Books, La Suprema Works and Events, Tucson, AZ, Nov. 10. 
 
  • Leading the Guided Morning Meditations at the annual ALTA conference, Tucson, AZ. Nov. 9 and 11.
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  • Guest Speaker at Anne Haven McDonnell's World Poetry Class at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM, Sept 19.  

  • Reading in conjunction with Words Without Borders at La Mama cafe in Santa Fe, NM, with Arthur Sze, Christina Vo, and Ryo Yamaguchi, August 13.  
 
  • ​Reading at the Cafe Muse Literary Salon, with Roger Sedarat. Online. August 7.
 
  • A Conversation with Majed Mujed (in-person) and Kareem James Abu-Zeid (virtual), moderated by Jessica Traynor. Part of the West Cork Literary Festival. West Cork, Ireland. July 13.  
 
  • Leading a multilingual workshop in poetry and prose for the American Literary Translators Association. Online. April 27. 
 
  • Reading and conversation at the Launch of the translated chapbook "The Book of Trivialities" by Majed Mujed at the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) at University College Dublin. Moderated by Paul Perry. Hybrid online and in-person event. April 13. 
 
  • "Intangibles: Toward a Holistic Approach to Literary Translation." Public lecture at Brown University, as part of the "Translation in Comparative Literature" series. Sponsored by the Department of Comparative Literature, in conjunction with the Translation Certificate Program. Brown Faculty Club, April 7, 4 pm.
 
  • "Context and Cohesion: A Workshop on Translating Modern Literary Texts." A translation workshop at the Brown University Faculty Club. Sponsored by the Department of Comparative Literature, in conjunction with the Translation Certificate Program. April 7, 12 pm.
 
  • "Force, Fury, Loss: A Reading of Contemporary Palestinian Poetry." Brown University Bookstore. Providence, Rhode Island. April 6, 4 pm. Reading from the works of Najwan Darwish and Olivia Elias.    
 
  • A Reading with Najwan Darwish at the Manchester Poetry Library. Part of the inaugural Manchester Translation Series. Manchester, UK. March 23. 
 
  • Speaking with students at the MA Creative Writing seminar led by Dr. Brian Sneeden and Dr. Joe Stretch. Manchester Metropolitan University. Manchester, UK. March 21.
 
  • Leading a translation workshop with BA and MA students at Manchester Metropolitan University. Part of the inaugural Manchester Translation Series, "Poetry in Print." Manchester, UK. March 20.
 
  • Featured Translature at the Inaugural Manchester Translation Series. With the Palestinian poet Najwan Darwish. Manchester Metropolitan University. Manchester, UK. March 20-24. 
 
  • Guest Speaker at Professor Sarah Kippur's undergraduate translation course at Trinity College (Connecticut), online. March 2.    
 
  • Featured Reader and Speaker: Washington DC Chapter of the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA), with Roger Sedarat, moderated by Barbara Goldberg. Online. January 29.


​2022

  • Sarah Maguire Prize Poetry Reading, in partnership with Manchester City of Literature. With Najwan Darwish, Huda Fakhreddine, and Jayson Iwen. Hosted by Ali Al-Jamri. Online. October 27.  
  • Leading an online webinar on translating children's literature for the Room to Read literacy organization, with Daniel Hahn and Antonia Lloyd-Jones. July 13. 
  • Leading a Craft Class, "Translating a Radically Different Cultural Context," at Bread Loaf, Vermont.
  • Public lecture in Bread Loaf, Vermont: "Translating Spiritual Texts: From the Literal to the Expansive." June 15.
  • Bread Loaf Reading, in Vermont: With Megan Mayhew Bergman, Emily Raboteau, and Yvette Siegert. June 14. 
  • Leading the open-language poetry translation workshop at the annual Bread Loaf Translators' Conference in Vermont. June 13 to 18. 
  • Guest speaker at Samuel England's undergratuate course Introduction to Arabic Literary Culture, University of Wisconsin - Madison. April 28.
  • Leading an open-language poetry translation workshop at the Center for South Asia at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. April 28.    
  • Leading an open-language poetry translation workshop for the American Literary Translators Associations. March 26.​
  • Leading an open-language prose translation workshop for the American Literary Translators Associations. March 25.​
  • Interviewed for the Afikra Book Club podcast series, on translations of Palestinian poetry and Lebanese prose. March 9. 
  • Guest speaker at Bouchaib Ghadir's advanced undergratuate course on Arabic Literature at Tulane University. February 21.  
​2021
  • Presenter at the Center for Fiction's Literary Translation Clinic, on the topic "What does it take to translate the intangible?" In conversation with Alta L. Price, and in conjunction with the Cedilla & Co. Translators' Collective. December 16.

  • Presenter and Panel Organizer:  "What are the most effective ways to promote and publicize translations?" Part of the 2021 Anual American Literary Translators Conference. Tucson, AZ. Nov. 12 and 13.   

  • Guest speaker at Thomas Wisniewski's Advanced Literary Translation Workshop, Department of Comparative Literature, at Harvard University. Nov. 4.

  • Featured reader, with Najwan Darwish, at the Words Without Borders Annual Gala. October 26.
     
  • Leading a Master Class on Literary Translation at Kenyon College, in conjunction with the Department of English.  
       
  • Guest speaker at Vivek Narayanan's "Global Poetry" undergraduate honors class in the Humanities Department at George Mason University (Alexandria, Virginia). Online. April 21. 
 
  • Reading and Discussion at Solid State Books (Washington, DC) with Najwan Darwish and Matthew Davis. In conjunction with the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center at George Mason University. March 26, 7 pm EST. Online. Replay available here. 
   
  • Speaker on the panel "Politics & Literature" with Bernice Chauly and Jeremy Tiang, moderated by Xu Xi, part of the Vermont College of the Fine Arts Spring Residency for their International MFA in Creative Writing and Translation. March 13, 7:45 pm EST.  
 
2020​
  • Open-language Prose/Poetry Translation Workshop. Facilitator. Part of the annual American Literary Translators Association conference. Online. October 9.

  • Freelance Translators Online "Happy Hour." Host. Part of the annual American Literary Translators Association conference. October 8. 

  • Retranslation: Challenges and Opportunities. Moderator and presenter. A panel on retranslation with Peter Constantine and Tal Goldfajn, at the annual American Literary Translators Association conference. Online. October 5. Replay available here.

  • Arabic Translation: A Hands-On Workshop. Co-organizer with Elisabeth Jaquette. Part of the annual American Literary Translators Association conference. Online. October 4.

  • Public Lecture on Translation at Kenyon College. October. Sponsored by the Creative Writing Program. (Postponed until 2021 due to COVID.)​  

  • Guest speaker on translation at multiple classes at Kenyon College, including leading guided meditations for students. October. (Postponed until 2021 due to COVID.)

  • Faculty member for the 2020 Middlebury Bread Loaf Translators Conference in Vermont. June. With Jennifer Croft, Karen Emmerich, Jody Gladding, David Hinton, and Achy Obejas (Postponed until 2021 due to COVID.)

  • Guest speaker for Professor Denise Newman's undergraduate "Poetry in Translation" class at the California College of the Arts (online), April. 

  • Public Lecture on the Practice of Translating Poetry at Washington & Lee University, March. Sponsored by the Center for Poetic Research. 

  • Guest teacher for Professor Seth Michelson's undergraduate "Poetry and Power" class at Washington & Lee University, March. Also led guided meditation with the students. 
2019
  • An informal Skype conversation with students of Prof. Richard Henry's "Literary Translation Theory" undergraduate course in the Writing Program (Dept. of English and Communications) at the State University of New York (SUNY), Potsdam. November 12.

  • Panel discussion on the Politics of Translation, as part of the Translation Now! Symposium, organized by the Tulsa Artist Fellowship in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Friday, August 16. With M.L. Martin, Kelsi Vanada, and Johannes Gorannson.

  • Reading of Arabic poetry, as part of the Translation Now! Symposium, organized by the Tulsa Artist Fellowship in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thursday, August 15. With M.L. Martin, Kelsi Vanada, and Johannes Gorannson. 

  • Reading and discussion of my translation of Adonis' Songs of Mihyar the Damascene, as part of National Poetry Month events at the Collected Works Bookstore in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Monday, April 29, 6 pm. In conversation with Claudette Sutton.  
2018
  • Translating Arabic Poetry, Pre-Islamic to Modern: Creative Challenges and Opportunities. A public lecture at Middlebury College, Vermont. Monday, November 5. (Mid-afternoon: precise time and location forthcoming.)

  • Literary Translation for Students of Arabic: A Hands-On Workshop. A lunchtime workshop for advanced Arabic students at Middlebury College, Vermont. Monday, November 5.
     
  • My First Time: Translating and Performing Writers Who Have Never Been Translated Before. A panel organized by Aviya Kushner, with Niloufar Talebi, Jason Grunebaum, Roman Ivashkiv, and Yardenne Greenspan, at the annual American Literary Translators Association conference. University of Indiana, Bloomington. November 1.
   
  • An informal discussion with Translation Studies students at the University of Connecticut, Hartford, October 30. Organized by Peter Constantine.
   
  • Panel discussion on Contemporary Arabic Literature as part of the 2nd annual "Day of Translation" event, co-sponsored by the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center and the Center for the Art of Translation, at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. September 27. 
 
  • Book launch event for Modern Art in the Arab World: Primary Documents at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, May 23.  
 
  • An informal discussion on translation with the Arabic Studies students at Hunter College, New York City, April 18. Organized by Professors Alexander Elinson and Christopher Stone.
 
  • Translating Arabic Poetry, Pre-Islamic to Modern: Creative Challenges and Opportunities. A talk and reading at the University of Connecticut. Sponsored by the UConn Humanities Institute, the Translation Studies Program, the Creative Writing Program, and the Aetna Chair of Writing. April 10. 
 
  • Literary Translation Workshop for Students, at the University of Connecticut's Translation Studies Program. April 10. 
 
  • Reading and Commenting on Translations of Pre-Islamic Arabic Poetry, at "Translation/Tarjama: The Aesthetics and Politics of Translating Arabic Literature," a one-day symposium at Yale University. April 6.

2017


  • Thriving Financially as a Freelance Literary Translator. A roundtable discussion organized and moderated by Kareem for the annual American Literary Translators Association conference, Minneapolis, October 8, at the Radisson Blu Hotel. The roundtable panelists are: Peter Constantine, Ellen Elias-Bursac, Ezra Fitz, Elisabeth Jaquette, and Mara Faye Lethem. 
 
  • Literary Translation Practice. Four-hour interactive workshop at Aswan University, Egypt. April. ​​

2016



  • The Translator as Coauthor: Collaborative Translation. A panel discussion at the annual Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Conference, organized by Words Without Borders and moderated by Susan Harris, with Karen Emmerich, Edward Gauvin, and Shabnam Nadya. Los Angeles.   
 
  • An informal Skype conversation with students of Prof. Samuel England's "Introduction to African Literature" undergraduate course in the Dept. of African Cultural Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. April 19. 
 
  • A Literary Tour of the Middle East. Reading for the “Thurdays at Readers” Poetry Series. Readers Café (Fort Mason Center). San Francisco.
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  • A Night of Literature, Friends, and Drinks with Two Lines. Public Book-Launch Reading with Katherine Silver and other translators. Churchill’s Office, San Francisco. 

2015

  • Northern California Book Awards. Reading a poem by Najwan Darwish upon winning the award for Best Translated Book of Poetry. San Francisco. 
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  • "Meditation: Experimenting on the Self." A 30-minute talk given at the seventh annual Smoke Farm Symposium, under the auspices of the Rubicon Foundation. Greater Seattle area, Washington state.
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  • The City and the Writer. In Focus Minneapolis and Palestine. A panel discussion at the annual Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Conference, organized by Graywolf Press and moderated by Nathalie Handal, with Ismail Khalidi, Gretchen Marquette, and Leslie Adrienne Miller. Minneapolis. 
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  • Thurdays at Readers Poetry Series. A reading of modern Arabic literature in translation. Readers Café (Fort Mason Center). San Francisco.​​

2014

  • A Literary Tour of the Middle East. Solo reading as Lannan Foundation Writer in Residence, for the Marfa Book Company. Marfa, Texas. http://www.marfabookco.com/events/2014/7/12/reading-kareem-abu-zeid
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  • Thurdays at Readers Poetry Series. A reading of modern Arabic literature in translation. Readers Café (Fort Mason Center). San Francisco.

2013

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  • “Reconstructions: Mapping Self and City in Rabee Jaber’s The Mehlis Report.” Presentation at the American Comparative Literature Association annual conference, on the panel “Mapping the Politics of Arabic Literature.” Toronto. 

2012

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2011

  • The Readers Café Poetry Series. A reading of modern Arabic literature in translation. Readers Café (Fort Mason Center). San Francisco.​​

2010

2009

  • San Francisco International Poetry Festival, Main Stage Reading. Palace of the Fine Arts.

  • San Francisco International Poetry Festival: Translation Colloquy. Moderated by Alejandro Murguia, with Olivia Sears, Stephen Kessler, and Judy Bernhard.

  • San Francisco International Poetry Festival: North Beach Poetry Crawl. A reading with Tarek Eltayeb and Sasha Pimentel.

  • Book Release Party for the Center for the Art of Translation. Reading with Stephen Kessler and other translators. LIMN Gallery. San Francisco. 

  • “Transvaluations: Quranic Intertextuality in Adonis’ Songs of Mihyar the Damascene.” Presentation at the 2009 Middle Eastern Studies Association (MESA) Conference. Washington DC. ​​

2008

  • The Middle East in Translation. A reading with Keith Ekiss and Rick London. University Press Books. Berkeley. ​​

2007

  • Main Stage Poetry Reading: San Francisco International Poetry Festival. Palace of Fine Arts. San Francisco.

  • San Francisco International Poetry Festival: Reading at Caffe Trieste. Reading translations of modern Iraqi poetry, together with Jack Hirschman and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.​​

2006

  • Literature from the Axis of Evil: Book Launch. In conjunction with Words Without Borders, with Alice Walker, Li Miao Lovett, and others. Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium. San Francisco. ​​

2004

  • “Another Hegira: Translating Adonis into English.” Presentation at the German Association for American Studies annual conference. Mannheim, Germany.

  • “Zarathustra Comes Home: An Introduction to the Poetics of Adonis.” Presentation at the 51st Annual Fulbright Germany Conference, Literature Panel. Berlin.  ​​