BIOGRAPHY
Canan Marasligil has designed The Attention Span (newsletter/podcast and website) to publish their work independently, creating their own space where she can take the time to reflect, to analyse and to imagine our societies through writing, art and culture.
Canan Marasligil (she/they) is a writer, artist and literary translator, whose practice spans from performing to making podcasts. She is fluent in English, French, Turkish, Dutch, and Spanish and is active in the fields of literature, comics, cultural criticism, and art. As an intersectional feminist who strives to challenge dominant narratives, Canan advocates for representation, equality and diversity. Their work has appeared in various media.
Canan regularly performs their poetry and stories on stage and has participated in online and offline exhibitions with her art and photography. She explores creativity through various media and keeps moving between the digital and analogue, always blurring the boundaries between fiction and non-fiction.
“The current levels of uncaring in our societies necessitate a deeper and more honest look at how […] decisions are made and if there is space for diversity and inclusion in profit-oriented practices. We need to do better. We need to truly care.”
Canan MARASLIGIL, IN UNCARING: REFLECTIONS ON THE POLITICS OF LITERARY TRANSLATION.
PORTFOLIO
Writing & Literary Translation
I write stories, essays, and articles on arts, culture, translation for various online and offline media such as Diacritik, Read My World, StripGids, uppercase magazine, Sisterhood Mag, Altyazı Film Magazine, Chronic, In Other Words, Bookwitty, Tiers Livre revue, Free Word Centre's blog, English PEN Atlas and here on my own online space The Attention Span.
I translate novels, short stories, essays and poetry, as well as children's books and comics. I translate mostly between French, English, Turkish and Dutch (I don’t practice my Spanish enough to work with it in translation). I move between languages and have many projects off the page using translation as a tool to trigger creativity and to play with words, images and languages.
I also write poetry in English, which I perform live at events and open mic nights. My poetry has been inspired by my reading of Fatima El Tayeb's book European Others: Queering Ethnicity in Postnational Europe.
Workshops
I run workshops, classes and seminars for children, young people and adults about literature, languages and comics. Below is a list of recent activities. I also prepare tailored workshops and seminars for specific audiences and like collaborating with artists to explore creativity even further.
Appearances
I am asked by cultural organisations, museums, libraries, schools and universities to give workshops, to participate to panels as a speaker or moderator, to contribute with my expertise on literary translation, comics and literature, and in a variety of topics within my remits. I also perform my own stories and poetry on stage and online.
Cultural Programmes
I work in the cultural and not for profit sector, focusing my activities on artistic and literary projects that support anti-racism and the fight against systemic racism, LGBTQ+ voices, freedom of expression, climate justice, inclusion and diversity as well as equal opportunities for all. Everything I do is fuelled by my values and perspective on the world.
I currently work with Read My World International Literature Festival based in Amsterdam. I have worked with a wide variety of cultural organisations across Europe including the European Cultural Foundation, Free Word Centre, English PEN, British Council and South Bank Centre in London, the Prince Claus Fund and the European Cultural Foundation in Amsterdam, BOZAR and Europalia Festival in Brussels, Istanbul Comics Festival in Turkey.
Art & Exhibitions
I have an artistic practice where my vision, values and overall work with writing, come together and are expressed through a variety of media and art forms.
I care about process. I move constantly between analogue (working with pen, ink, paper) and digital.
I am developing a multimedia project including photography, poetry, image transfers and handmade book-making called Beyond Crises, Tenderness, exploring love, mental health, intimacy, sexuality and the possibility of tenderness in times of crisis.
My recent work exploring visual poetry and translation is a showcase in the TRANSLATIONS exhibition by Mellom Press.
My photography has been showcased in different issues of ISOLATION, an online magazine created by photographer Laurent Champoussin during the lockdown period in March-April 2020.
In one of my podcasts, A Dreamer’s Night Talks, I take you into my mind, offering nocturnal stream of consciousness reflections on various subjects: art, memory, writing letters etc. It’s pure experimentation.
I have presented myYearning for Turkish exhibition, created in the frame of my ongoing City in Translation exploration, as part of the TransArtation! exhibition at The Byre Theatre in St Andrews, and at The Shoe Factory Social Club in Norwich in Spring 2017. The exhibition is now visible online - you can also see more about the making of process here.
Music is everything to me, and as part of my process, I create playlists on Spotify. Sometimes, they act as soundtracks to my writing, they tell a story or simply act as mood boards and inspiration.
Residencies
Artistic residencies are central to my work. I usually choose residencies where I can work closely with local organisations and engage with different communities creatively.
February and April 2020, Follow up Residency at Mine de Culture(s), Bassin Minier, France.
November 2018 > January 2019, Writer in Residence at Mine de Culture(s), Bassin Minier, France.
March 2018, Translator in Residence at Lancaster University, UK.
May, June and October 2017, Translator in Residence at La Contre Allée, Lille.
17 April to 17 May 2015, Writer's residency at Culture@Work in Copenhagen, Denmark
1 to 9 March 2015, Cultural Journalist residency at WAAW in Saint-Louis, Senegal.
March to June 2013, Translator in residence Free Word Centre in London, UK.
Web/Social Media
Throughout the years, I have offered a range of services to cultural organisations, institutions and more, to develop their online presence. My work has evolved more and more towards content creation for online spaces and less towards finding technical solutions. Today, my web and social media work focus on my own spaces (this website, City in Translation, the Tandem website, and my own social media presence). I have archived past work on this page.
Press coverage
And last but not least: my work and projects have been covered by the press across Europe and in different languages.