The novelist and poet offer readings, discuss the power of translation in literature
March 2025 – Drew University’s Writers@Drew series welcomed novelist Padma Viswanathan and poet Geoffrey Brock. The event featured readings from their works, followed by a thought-provoking discussion on translation and its impact on literature.
Viswanathan, a professor of creative writing and translation at the University of Arkansas, is also the founder of the Arkansas International Writer-at-Risk Residency Program. Her novels have been published in eight countries and shortlisted for the PEN USA Prize and the Scotiabank Giller Prize, among others. She has published in Granta, The Boston Review, and BRICK. Her recent publications include Like Every Form of Love: A Memoir of Friendship and True Crime, and The Charterhouse of Padma.
Brock is author of three poetry collections, most recently After, named one of the Best Poetry Collections of 2024 by Electric Lit. He is also the editor of The FSG Book of Twentieth-Century Italian Poetry and the translator of numerous books of poetry, prose, and comics, including Giuseppe Ungaretti’s Allegria, which received the National Translation Award in Poetry. He is the recipient of fellowship awards from the NEA, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center.
The discussion, moderated by Associate Professor of English and Director of Drew’s Creative Writing Program Courtney Zoffness, explored the role of translation in literature and the authors’ experiences in the field.
Brock recounted how his journey with translation began during a semester abroad in Florence during his sophomore year of college. It was there that he discovered his passion for poetry, particularly Italian poetry. “I began translation as a way of closely reading Italian poets,” he said. “Since then, my career as a writer has followed two parallel tracks: my own poetry and the poems I translate.” He emphasized the value of translation for writers, noting, “It makes you more conscious of the particulars of your language.”
Viswanathan spoke about her experience learning Portuguese while living in Brazil. Despite not having formal training in the language, she took on a translation project at Brock’s encouragement, ultimately publishing her translation of São Bernardo by Brazilian author Graciliano Ramos.
“Translation is about being in touch with the languages and literatures that you love,” she said. “Your language skills don’t necessarily need to be perfect—translation can actually enhance them. We hear an author we love and want to bring others along with us.”
The free event was co-sponsored by The Casement Fund, Drew’s English Department, and Drew’s Launch platform.
