Mario Benedetti: the reluctant optimist and his ‘strange beast’

This is a special event to mark the publication of Adam Feinstein’s translation of Mario Benedetti’s extraordinary novella in verse, ´El cumpleaños de Juan Ángel (Juan Ángel’s Birthday)´ by Tenement Press - the first time this book has ever appeared in English. Feinstein will be in conversation with Juan Toledo and Sophie Stevens to discuss the great Uruguayan writer Benedetti’s prolific career as poet, novelist and playwright. Feinstein will also explain the challenges he encountered in translating Benedetti’s book (which the Uruguayan himself described as ‘a strange beast’) and explore its remarkable linguistic inventiveness, astonishingly beautiful musicality and irrepressible humour.