Antoine Christopher A. F. Cassar (born 1978 in London)[1] is a Maltesepoet and translator. His book-length poem Erbgħin Jum (Forty Days, Ede, 2017) was awarded the National Book Prize in 2018, and shortlisted for the European Poet of Freedom award, based in Gdańsk, Poland. Passaport, a protest poem about borders nested inside a love poem to humanity as a naturally migrating species, has been published in over a dozen languages, and adapted for the theatre in Europe, the Americas and Australia. In September 2009, his multilingual poem Merħba was the Grand Prize winner of the United Planet Writing Contest.[2]
Cassar was born in London to Maltese parents. He lived in Spain, Italy, and Luxembourg.[3]
Worksedit
Cassar's work deals with themes of language, maps and borders.[4]
Passport (2009) is a poem published in a mock-passport form addressing themes of migration and nationhood. It was translated into nine languages, with proceeds donated to refugee charities around the world.[3][5]
Mosaics poemsedit
Cassar's mużajki or mosaics poems[6] combine a minimum of five languages, mainly English, French, Italian, Maltese and Spanish, often in the form of a Petrarchan sonnet. These poems, the first series of which was published in July 2007 in the anthology Ħbula Stirati(Tightropes),[7] engage in the braiding of words and sounds in the different languages used whilst maintaining a coherent rhythm and logical poetic sequence. Among the main themes explored by the mosaics are the vanity and futility of life, love unrequited or fulfilled, the absurdity of colonialism and its after-effects, and the at once exhilarating and disorienting feeling of variety itself.[8] The following is a stanza from his sonnet C'est la vie[9]
Original
Run, rabbit, run, run, run, from the womb to the tomb, de cuatro a dos a tres, del río a la mar, play the fool, suffer school, żunżana ddur iddur, engage-toi, perds ta foi, le regole imparar, […]
English translation
Run, rabbit, run, run, run, from the womb to the tomb, from four to two to three, from the river to the sea, play the fool, suffer school, the wasp goes round and round, get involved, lose your faith, learn the rules, […]
As Marija Grech explains, "…the deeper significance of these poems may be said to lie not simply in the more traditional meaning of the individual words or verses, but more specifically in the play with sound that the movement from one language to another generates and exploits. As the poet explains, 'the mosaics are designed not so much to be read but to be heard'." Cassar, on an interview,[10] describes the meaning of the "multiple levels" on his poetry: "How often does one read or listen to a poem and understand it completely? In my reading experience, I find that if a poem offers all its connotation, undertones and beauty at one go, its taste will soon be forgotten… The multiple levels of a poem should pique and stir the readers' curiosity, slowly but surely bringing them deeper into the text."
^ abBarekat, Houman (25 April 2018). "Dancing Doubles". Times Literary Supplement. from the original on 2019-11-06. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
^"Meet an Award-Winning Maltese Poet: Walking Through Memories with Antoine Cassar". The London Book Fair. from the original on 2019-11-06. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
^"Passaport - The Author". Passaport. from the original on 2013-03-25. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
^Marija Grech, "Mosaics: A symphony of multilingual poetry", The Daily Star (Kuwait), 2007
Performance at the XIII Biennale des Jeunes Créateurs de l'Europe et de la Mediterranée, 28 May 2008
January 01, 1970
antoine, cassar, antoine, christopher, cassar, born, 1978, london, maltese, poet, translator, book, length, poem, erbgħin, forty, days, 2017, awarded, national, book, prize, 2018, shortlisted, european, poet, freedom, award, based, gdańsk, poland, passaport, p. Antoine Christopher A F Cassar born 1978 in London 1 is a Maltese poet and translator His book length poem Erbgħin Jum Forty Days Ede 2017 was awarded the National Book Prize in 2018 and shortlisted for the European Poet of Freedom award based in Gdansk Poland Passaport a protest poem about borders nested inside a love poem to humanity as a naturally migrating species has been published in over a dozen languages and adapted for the theatre in Europe the Americas and Australia In September 2009 his multilingual poem Merħba was the Grand Prize winner of the United Planet Writing Contest 2 Antoine Cassar Antoine Cassar 2023 Born1978 age 45 46 Camden London United KingdomOccupationPoet translatorNationalityMalteseCitizenshipMalta United KingdomPeriod2007 presentGenrePoetryNotable worksMuzajk Passaport Forty Days Contents 1 Personal life 2 Works 2 1 Mosaics poems 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksPersonal life editCassar was born in London to Maltese parents He lived in Spain Italy and Luxembourg 3 Works editCassar s work deals with themes of language maps and borders 4 Passport 2009 is a poem published in a mock passport form addressing themes of migration and nationhood It was translated into nine languages with proceeds donated to refugee charities around the world 3 5 Mosaics poems edit Cassar s muzajki or mosaics poems 6 combine a minimum of five languages mainly English French Italian Maltese and Spanish often in the form of a Petrarchan sonnet These poems the first series of which was published in July 2007 in the anthology Ħbula Stirati Tightropes 7 engage in the braiding of words and sounds in the different languages used whilst maintaining a coherent rhythm and logical poetic sequence Among the main themes explored by the mosaics are the vanity and futility of life love unrequited or fulfilled the absurdity of colonialism and its after effects and the at once exhilarating and disorienting feeling of variety itself 8 The following is a stanza from his sonnet C est la vie 9 Original Run rabbit run run run from the womb to the tomb de cuatro a dos a tres del rio a la mar play the fool suffer school zunzana ddur iddur engage toi perds ta foi le regole imparar English translation Run rabbit run run run from the womb to the tomb from four to two to three from the river to the sea play the fool suffer school the wasp goes round and round get involved lose your faith learn the rules As Marija Grech explains the deeper significance of these poems may be said to lie not simply in the more traditional meaning of the individual words or verses but more specifically in the play with sound that the movement from one language to another generates and exploits As the poet explains the mosaics are designed not so much to be read but to be heard Cassar on an interview 10 describes the meaning of the multiple levels on his poetry How often does one read or listen to a poem and understand it completely In my reading experience I find that if a poem offers all its connotation undertones and beauty at one go its taste will soon be forgotten The multiple levels of a poem should pique and stir the readers curiosity slowly but surely bringing them deeper into the text See also editModern Macaronic literature in Italian Poesia multilingueReferences edit UK Birth Records Retrieved 11 September 2018 unitedplanet org a b Barekat Houman 25 April 2018 Dancing Doubles Times Literary Supplement Archived from the original on 2019 11 06 Retrieved 6 November 2019 Meet an Award Winning Maltese Poet Walking Through Memories with Antoine Cassar The London Book Fair Archived from the original on 2019 11 06 Retrieved 6 November 2019 Passaport The Author Passaport Archived from the original on 2013 03 25 Retrieved 6 November 2019 Marija Grech Mosaics A symphony of multilingual poetry The Daily Star Kuwait 2007 Cassar on Ħbula Stirati Muzajk website Antoine Cassar Mosaics Multilingual Sonnets Archived from the original on 2008 02 13 Retrieved 2008 02 26 Marija Grech ibidemExternal links editPerformance at the XIII Biennale des Jeunes Createurs de l Europe et de la Mediterranee 28 May 2008 The Malta Council Culture and the Arts 2008 Cassar on proz com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Antoine Cassar amp oldid 1176154421, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
