After Catastrophe: Futures Beyond Crisis
Poets, translators and editors explore why we rely on young writers during a crisis and how translation might be just the tool we need for a different future.
When the world seems turned on its head, it’s often only then that the voices of young writers are heard. But what would it look like to work towards more ethical, sustained literary futures?
Hosted by Modern Poetry in Translation editor Janani Ambikapathy, with Leo Boix, Dominic J. Jaeckle and Ghazal Mosadeq, the discussion focuses on translation as a vital practice for imagining futures beyond English and, crucially, beyond catastrophe and a state of emergency.
Combining short readings by invited young poets with a moderated conversation, the panel explores mentorship, editorial responsibility and the process of bringing emerging voices into print.
Joining on stage are two of today’s leading young poetic voices Flor Bárcenas Feria and Hajar Hussaini.
Flor Bárcenas Feria is an Afro-Caribbean poet, author of the poetry collection Bramidos de agua dulce (2020), and the winner of the young poetry Jorge García Usta prize. Their poetry has been included in the anthology Como la flor and in national and international magazines.
Hajar Hussaini is an award-winning translator and author of Disbound: Poems (University of Iowa Press, 2022). They won the 2026 Whiting Award in poetry. Hussaini’s translations from Persian have been recognised with a PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant and a Mo Habib Translation Prize. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she is an assistant teaching professor of English at Skidmore College.
Need to know
For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.