An Evening with Eugene Ostashevsky

Join us for a captivating evening with Eugene Ostashevsky, a renowned writer, poet, and translator celebrated for his masterful manipulation of language. 🌟 Delve into themes of migration, identity, and the intertwining of personal and collective histories through his translingual writing.

In an engaging discussion alongside Yasha Klots and Robert Chandler, Ostashevsky will unveil his latest work, Alphabet Soup: The Translingual Sayings of Emma and Eva as Recorded by Their Father (Tamizdat Project & Rab-Rab Press; 2026), along with readings from his earlier poetry collection, The Feeling Sonnets (Carcanet; 2022). 📖✨

Alphabet Soup captures the vibrant language of Ostashevsky’s multilingual daughters as their Turkish-German-Russian-American family transitions from New York to Berlin. With their unique blend of words from various origins, the girls create a rich tapestry of communication. This volume not only reflects the experiences of raising children in a foreign language but also delves into the emotional role of language, the historical impact of the Leningrad Blockade, and life’s transformative journey through translation.

Both collections intricately navigate the complex layers of language and culture, exploring etymologies and the fluidity of words and meanings. Ostashevsky provocatively questions: Does our identity shape our speech, or is it vice versa? What stories lie within different languages? What creativity unfolds in the spaces where languages intersect? 🌏💬

Join us for an inspiring evening filled with thought-provoking discussions and beautiful readings! 💖

Location: Pushkin House, 5A Bloomsbury Square, WC1A 2TA London, United Kingdom
Tickets: Purchase here! 🎟️