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Seagull Books publication ‘Psyche Running' wins Griffin Poetry Prize for Durs Grünbein, Karen Leeder
Psyche Running, translated by Karen Leeder and written in German by Durs Grünbein, is the winner of the 2025 Griffin Poetry Prize. The prize-winning volume of poetry has been published by Seagull Books of India. The cash prize of C$130,000 will be divided between Leeder and Grünbein, with 60 per cent going to the translator and 40 per cent to the author. Each of the other finalists received C$10,000. The judges said, 'Durs Grünbein's Psyche Running is a brilliant overview and selection of a poet who satisfies our hunger to be serious, as again and again he finds himself 'between words and things.' Karen Leeder's adept translations establish a new version of Grünbein in English: universal, lyrical, philosophical.' Karen Leeder is a writer, scholar, and translator of contemporary German literature. She is the Schwarz-Taylor Chair of the German Language and Literature at the University of Oxford. In 2023, she began a three-year Einstein Fellowship at the Free University of Berlin for her project AfterWords. Durs Grünbein was born in Dresden in 1962 and now lives in Berlin and Rome. Since 2005, he has been a professor of poetics and aesthetics at the Kunstakademie, Düsseldorf. Upon receiving the Prize, Leeder said, 'It is such an honour to be the recipient of this very special prize. We are so grateful to Seagull Books for backing us. What a privilege to bring this amazing poet into English.' Grünbein added, 'Everybody is now talking about this famous publishing house in Kolkata and the publisher behind all the books: You, Naveen [Kishore, publisher], only you. Thank you for believing in me from the beginning.' The international Griffin Poetry Prize was founded in 2000 to recognise excellence in poetry. The prize is for first edition books of poetry written in, or translated into, English and submitted from anywhere in the world. Judges Nick Laird, Anne Michaels, and Tomasz Różycki read 578 books of poetry, including 47 translations from 20 languages, submitted by 219 publishers from 17 different countries. The other books on the shortlist were: The Great Zoo, translated by Aaron Coleman from the Spanish, written by Nicolás Guillén Kiss the Eyes of Peace, translated by Brian Henry from the Slovenian, written by Tomaž Šalamun Scattered Snows, to the North, Carl Phillips Modern Poetry, Diane Seuss
Fox News
21-04-2025
- Science
- Fox News
Archaeologists unearth millennia-old lecture hall from 'impressive' ancient high school
The lecture hall of an "impressive high school" from an ancient Greek settlement was recently uncovered in Italy – with the discovery highlighting the similarities between ancient and modern schooling. The Free University of Berlin announced the find in a press release on April 9. The excavation took place in Agrigento, Italy, on the southwestern coast of Sicily. Agrigento was founded in 580 B.C. as the largest Greek colony in Sicily. The settlement boasted both a high school and a grammar school – yet the lecture hall of the complex was only unearthed this past March. University officials described the hall as "a small covered theater that could accommodate around 200 people on eight rising, semicircular rows of seats," said a statement translated from German to English. It went on, "When the grammar school was built in the 2nd century B.C., no other currently known grammar school in the ancient world offered such a lecture hall. It was only 250 to 300 years later that the large high school in Pergamon (Turkey) received a theater-like auditorium." The hall was primarily used for intellectual activities such as lessons, as well as educational demonstrations and competitions. Schools in antiquity placed an emphasis on healthy minds and healthy bodies — and teachers ensured that young men were physically and intellectually ready for adult life. "From the 4th century BC, [Greek] cities built large complexes with running tracks, bathing facilities and rooms where young men could train and learn," the press release said. So far, the school in Agrigento is the only ancient structure in the western Mediterranean that offered a large swimming pool and 200-meter-long running tracks, according to officials. Excavators also found a semi-circular section of the lecture hall, where "teachers and students once performed in front of an audience." "[T]wo large blocks with a Greek inscription were found, the letters of which were engraved in the white-plastered soft limestone and highlighted with red paint," the press release noted. Archaeologists also came across an inscription indicating that the gymnasium was financed by a citizen who dedicated the structure to Greek gods. "Mention is made of a gymnasiarch, the head of the gymnasium, and the renewal of the roof of the apodyterium (changing room), which a generous citizen financed from his own resources and dedicated to the gods of the gymnasium, Hermes and Heracles," the statement read. The inscription is highly unusual, experts say, and helps to "provide insights into the social life of the city." "The letter form suggests that the inscription was engraved in the late 1st century B.C., when Agrigento had long been under Roman rule." the statement said. "Nevertheless, the Greek language, Greek offices and traditions continued to be maintained, and the Greek high school continued to be used and maintained as a central training center for young people." The site will be excavated again in 2026, according to the Free University of Berlin. Archaeologists are hoping to "uncover more sports and teaching spaces north of the auditorium and find more inscriptions that will reconstruct life in the ancient high school of Agrigento."
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Berlin man jailed over anti-Semitic attack on Jewish student
A 24-year-old man from Berlin has been sentenced to three years in prison for an attack on a Jewish student. The Tiergarten District Court found the defendant, formerly a fellow student at the Free University of Berlin, guilty of grievous bodily harm and found anti-Semitism was the motive for the attack. Prosecutor Tim Kaufmann, who had demanded a sentence of two years and four months for the defendant, said the attack on student Lahav Shapira was an example of "anti-Semitic violence." "Lahav Shapira was attacked because he is Jewish and campaigned against anti-Semitism," Kaufmann added. Shapira, now 32 years old, was attacked outside a bar in the central Mitte district on February 2, 2024. The defendant admitted following Shapira as he left the venue and attacking him, arguing that the act was "not about politics" but due to Shapira's behaviour in a WhatsApp group and his tearing down of a poster at the university. The 24-year-old, whose parents are from Lebanon, apologized to Shapira shortly before the verdict was handed down. "I am sorry to have caused you pain," he said. According to the verdict, the defendant knocked down Shapira with his fist and kicked him in the face, leaving the Jewish student with a complex facial fracture and a brain haemorrhage. Shapira appeared as a witness earlier in the trial, explaining how he was forced to "lock himself at home for several weeks" after suffering severe injuries.
Al Jazeera
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Germany wants to expel four pro-Palestine activists: What you should know
Berlin, Germany – Germany is being accused of silencing pro-Palestinian voices, having ordered the deportations of three European nationals and a United States citizen over their alleged actions at demonstrations. None has been convicted of any crime. Critics said the decision is another chapter of German unease with the pro-Palestine movement. Since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, tensions have flared as officials have moved to ban protests and cancel events while cultural institutes have distanced themselves from artists who raise awareness about the Palestinian cause. Here's what you should know: The four activists received initial letters in the post in January informing them they had lost the right of freedom of movement. Two months later, their lawyers received deportation letters from Berlin's state migration authority on behalf of their clients in which they were told to leave by April 21 or be forcibly removed. The activists are: Cooper Longbottom, a 27-year-old US citizen and university student, and cultural workers Kasia Wlaszczyk, a 35-year-old Polish national; Shane O'Brien, 29; and Roberta Murray, 31. O'Brien and Murray are Irish citizens. All four allegedly participated in a sit-in at the Free University of Berlin. On Friday in an emergency injunction, Berlin's state administrative court ruled that O'Brien may remain until a full hearing is held. The temporary measure is one of interim relief when a court or legal authority acts to protect someone's rights or interests while a case is still being decided. The court said the migration authority failed to 'fulfil sufficiently its official duty of investigation' when deciding to withdraw his European Union freedom of movement rights, according to The Irish Times. In a police report seen by Al Jazeera, incidents are listed from October last year onwards. German authorities said the activists have spread 'anti-Semitic hatred and incitement' as well as 'anti-Israeli hatred'. The four are accused of criminal acts such as resisting arrest, property damage and disturbing the peace. The document also refers to insulting remarks, alleging that some of the activists called a police officer a 'fascist'. In Germany, insulting someone is classified as a defamation of honour offence and can be subject to legal punishment. Two were initially accused of this. One – O'Brien – has since been acquitted. In a statement provided to Al Jazeera, the Berlin Senate Department for the Interior and Sport referred to an incident in question. 'A group of masked individuals willing to use violence forced their way into a university building. This led to significant property damage inside the building, including graffiti related to the Israel-Palestine conflict, as well as other criminal offences. As far as we are aware, the legal proceedings are still ongoing. No further details can be provided due to data protection regulations,' it said. The Intercept first broke the story, triggering a round of condemnation towards Germany from critics. The activists' legal team argued the charges are being used as a pretext to suppress political speech and assembly rights, particularly concerning Palestine. 'The decisions to deport our clients have no valid legal basis,' said lawyer Benjamin Dusberg, a member of the five-person legal team representing the activists. 'This purely political justification is in no way compatible with the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. Not a word is mentioned that our clients protested against the genocide in Gaza and its support through German arms deliveries.' Wlaszczyk said the allegations are unfounded. 'I refuse to engage in dishonest accusations of anti-Semitism and falling into the trap of defending myself against this gross abuse of the term being thrown around by police, journalists and the state to slander and criminalise the pro-Palestinian movement,' he told Al Jazeera. 'By now, we all know that accusations of anti-Semitism have been turned by the German state into an authoritarian dog whistle and a racist tool which predominantly targets the Palestinian and Arab communities in Germany.' The deportation orders were issued as Germany faces accusations of a broader national clampdown on pro-Palestinian activism. These allegations have grown during Israel's latest war on Gaza, but they have haunted Germany even before October 2023. Since the Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, during which 1,139 people were killed and more than 200 were taken captive, Israel has killed more than 50,983 people in Gaza, including tens of thousands of children. In a statement, the four activists painted a bleak picture of Berlin over the past 18 months. 'Rampant unrestrained police violence goes hand in hand with this repressive use of immigration law to silence pro-Palestinian voices and political dissent. Arbitrary arrests made at protests, combined with false charges, are used as pretexts to justify extrajudicial deportation measures, circumventing any notion of independent judicial process and the rule of law,' they said. In recent years, Berlin authorities have banned pro-Palestinian demonstrations and national symbols associated with Palestinian identity. Germany said protests have been banned because of concerns about the potential for hate speech. Administrative courts have said they pose an 'imminent danger to public safety and order'. Berlin has given schools a green light to ban the wearing of Palestinian keffiyeh scarves on the grounds that they may threaten 'school peace'. Additionally, chanting slogans like 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' has been banned in certain contexts because they are seen as denying Israel's right to exist. In August, a protester was fined about $650 over the chant, which German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has described as a pro-Hamas slogan. Cultural institutions have lost public funding over ties to pro-Palestinian advocacy, raising concerns about artistic freedom and political repression in the country. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on November 8, 2023, called on Arab communities in Germany to distance themselves from Hamas, a comment that saw him accused of discrimination. Furthermore, according to amendments to Germany's citizenship laws, applicants seeking naturalisation will be required to affirm Israel's right to exist. In the case of the activists, German authorities have cited the principle of 'Staatsrason' – or reason of state – as a basis for the deportation orders. Israel's security is seen by Germany as its reason of state, given Nazi Germany's role in systematically murdering six million Jews during the Holocaust. 'The immigration authorities themselves initially considered the deportation decisions to be illegal as none of our clients had a criminal record. But then they were instructed to do so by the Berlin Senate,' Dusberg said. Internal emails reviewed by Al Jazeera confirm that Federal Foreign Office employees challenged the legality of the Berlin Senate's deportation request, but their objections were unsuccessful. 'In the reasons for the decisions, direct reference is then made in the police report to the so-called Staatsrason. According to this report, our clients have acted in conflict with the reason of state,' Dusberg added. While not codified into law, Staatsrason has shaped public discourse as a guiding state doctrine. Observers argued it fosters censorship, pitting democratic values like free speech and freedom of assembly against Germany's unwavering solidarity with Israel. In March last year, the Financial Times's Berlin bureau chief, Guy Chazan, wrote: 'Any criticism of Israel is now seen by some people in power as antisemitic. It is an approach that is tying Germans up in knots, inflaming social tensions and undermining the country's credibility in the Global South.' Adding to the controversy surrounding Berlin's foreign policy as Israel's genocide against Palestinians in Gaza continues unabated, Friedrich Merz, the likely next German chancellor, recently invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Germany despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for the Israeli leader for alleged war crimes.
Miami Herald
10-04-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
2,000-year-old Greek lecture hall discovered in Italy is first of its kind
Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient Greek lecture hall within a gymnasium complex in Italy, making it one of the earliest known examples of a school-like facility in the ancient world, according to researchers. Built in the second century B.C., the Agrigento facility is believed to be among the first to combine physical health and intellectual pursuit, according to an April 9 news release from the Free University of Berlin. Agrigento is the largest Greek settlement in Sicily, founded around 580 B.C. and inhabited for more than 1,000 years, according to the release. Researchers said it is the only known structure of its kind discovered in the Western Mediterranean and that when it was built, no other gymnasium in the ancient world contained a lecture hall, according to the release. The closest example of a combined gymnasium and lecture hall was built at Pergamon in modern-day Turkey between 250 and 300 years after the Agrigento site, researchers said in the release. The auditorium, uncovered during excavations in March, appears to have been a covered theater with eight semicircular rows of ascending seats and could hold about 200 people, researchers said. The auditorium opened into a large hall with benches and was likely used for classes or performances, according to researchers. The unique gymnasium portion of the site had previously been excavated and featured 650-foot-long tracks and a large swimming pool, according to researchers. Gymnasiums were an important part of ancient Greek culture, particularly for young men, and an integral part of their cities' infrastructure, according to researchers. Archaeologists also uncovered two inscriptions at the site, one that mentions the name of the head of the gymnasium, and the other that appears to reference renovations funded by a citizen and donated to Hermes and Heracles, according to researchers. Very few inscriptions have been discovered at Agrigento despite its long history, according to researchers. The excavation was led by faculty from the Free University of Berlin in partnership with the Politecnico di Bari and the Parco Archeologico Valle dei Templi di Agrigento and funded by the German Research Foundation. Google Translate and TranslateGPT were used to translate the press release from the Free University of Berlin.
