Shake the Sword!

This podcast series profiles the research interests and creative practices of our affiliates and their colleagues. The title borrows from Sol Plaatje’s description of a linguistic exchange in which “Shakespeare” became “Tsikinya-Chaka” in Setswana, a name he renders back into English as “Shake-the-Sword” - explaining that the translation is “more free than literal”. Freedom and licence are principals we emphasise when it comes to approaching the subject of Shakespeare, multilingualism and transnationalism. And we plan to shake things up!

Each episode addresses a multilingual Shakespearean phenomenon, with a first season focusing on west and east African languages and countries. Expect insights into Shakespeare and Kiswahili, or comparisons between Nigeria’s tradition of Yoruba translations/adaptations and new work being done in Naija (“Nigerian Pidgin”). This is not a podcast treating Shakespeare in translation as an exotic novelty or fringe interest; instead, it is front and centre.

You can listen to Shake the Sword! on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud.

Shake the Sword! is produced with the support of Legacy Underwriting Managers (LUM), the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) and the Humboldt Foundation.