Borderless Poetry Translation: Crossing Languages, Connecting Worlds with David Stones, Micheline Maylor and Anna Yin
Memorial: Selected Poems by Yan Li, Edited and Translated by Anna Yin
In recent years, I have devoted myself to translating the poetry of Yan Li. His work is uniquely profound, shaped by a strong historical imprint and distinguished by black humour and layered metaphors, making translation both challenging and rewarding. Yan Li shared more than one hundred poems with me, from which I translated over fifty. Seventeen of these translations have appeared in leading English-language journals. In November 2024, I received Yan Li’s written authorization to publish this collection. While I was seeking publishers in North America and the United Kingdom, Yan Li unexpectedly passed away on June 24, 2026.
To reduce paper use and protect our forests, this memorial edition is published by Sureway Press and shared digitally, allowing these poems to continue their journey in a lighter and more sustainable form. May these verses transcend language and time, continuing to be read, heard, and remembered.
Thanks to Queen’s Quarterly for having Kyeren Regehr interview Anna Yin on The Poet Laureate Podcast
The Poet Laureate Podcast is recorded in studio at Haus of Owl: Creation Labs—many thanks to Haus of Owl: Creation Lab and Queen’s Quarterly. I’m so glad to have been interviewed by Kyeren Regehr for the podcast!
