Workshop led by Cecilia Rossi, looking at internal and external constraints that translators face, and ‘revealing’ how writers are really not that free either. The two exercises, below, are intuitively linked to their predecessors.

1. On the Difficulty of Imagining an Ideal Ice-cream Flavour.
(After George Perec/John Sturrock)
I would like to lick some vol-au-vent but sometimes I wouldn’t
I would love to lick some watermelon but sometimes I wouldn’t
I would like to lick some xigua but sometimes I wouldn’t
I wouldn’t like to lick some yolk but sometimes I would
I would love to like to lick some zest – I really would

2. Stencil
(After Matthew Welton)
Exactly what I’m reading is: – the sentence comes
And, with it, something synonymous butts my brain
The crowd of words wibble-wobbles; the dictionary lies.

Exactly what I’m reading is: – the silence comes
And, with it, something soporific ties my tongue
The gap of words dilly-dallies; the dictionary sighs.

Exactly what I’m reading is: – the seizure comes
And, with it, something stupefying mugs my mind
The clot of words coagulates; the dictionary cries.