Basque, French, “outsider” in the home? A Literary Approach to Exile In brief Date - 28 March 2025Venue - Room G.06, 50 George SquareSpeaker - Itxaro Borda (Basque writer and speaker) About the eventThe School of Languages, Literature and Culture is delighted to welcome the renowned Basque writer and speaker Itxaro Borda, who will be giving a talk on the concept of “Inner Exile”.Inner exile, Borda will posit, is a concept that refers to the state of wandering identity and belonging within one’s own homeland. We often gather in this uncomfortable space when the surrounding socio-political situation becomes tense or deteriorates.Borda will also explore how this exile can also be provoked when an individual uses the language of their homeland in a diglossic environment. This withdrawal into oneself is often viewed negatively, but it can also serve as a space in which to articulate thoughts and emotions before reaching out to others. Borda will bring diverse examples from literature, theatre, and poetry to illustrate these ideas and experiences.The event will conclude with pinxto food and drinks, as well as a multilingual Q&A session with members of the audience.This event is sponsored by the Etxepare Basque Institute.About the speakerItxaro Borda is a Basque-language writer, poet and reporter. She was born in Baiona, France in 1959, and has a degree in History. She has been writing her whole life, and helped create the Basque-French language magazine 'Maiatz' in which she published her first poetry collection, 'Bizitza nola badoan', in 1984.In 2002, she won the the Premios Euskadi de Literatura prize in the Basque-language literature category for her novel '100% Basque'. In 2022 she published the poetry collection 'Uhartearen mugetan', and another called 'Itzalen tektonika' in 2024.How to attendThis event is open to all, and free to attend. No registration is necessary - just come along!Are you interested in studying Basque?Basque is spoken by over a million people worldwide, mainly on both sides of the western Pyrenees in Spain and France. It is a modern language, and is used in a very wide range of social and cultural contexts, styles, and registers.We offer a Level 8, 20-credit course on the Basque Language for Beginners, available to all students at the University of Edinburgh. It aims to develop good oral, listening, reading, and writing skills in the language, as well as providing some examples of Basque culture and society as contexts for the language. Find out more about studying with us Tags European Languages and Cultures Mar 28 2025 18.00 - 19.00 Basque, French, “outsider” in the home? A Literary Approach to Exile An in-person talk by Itxaro Borda, acclaimed Basque writer, exploring the concept of 'inner exile' - how an individual existing within a society can still be isolated within it. Followed by a Q&A. Room G.06 50 George Square University of Edinburgh EH8 9LH Find the venue: 50 George Square
Basque, French, “outsider” in the home? A Literary Approach to Exile In brief Date - 28 March 2025Venue - Room G.06, 50 George SquareSpeaker - Itxaro Borda (Basque writer and speaker) About the eventThe School of Languages, Literature and Culture is delighted to welcome the renowned Basque writer and speaker Itxaro Borda, who will be giving a talk on the concept of “Inner Exile”.Inner exile, Borda will posit, is a concept that refers to the state of wandering identity and belonging within one’s own homeland. We often gather in this uncomfortable space when the surrounding socio-political situation becomes tense or deteriorates.Borda will also explore how this exile can also be provoked when an individual uses the language of their homeland in a diglossic environment. This withdrawal into oneself is often viewed negatively, but it can also serve as a space in which to articulate thoughts and emotions before reaching out to others. Borda will bring diverse examples from literature, theatre, and poetry to illustrate these ideas and experiences.The event will conclude with pinxto food and drinks, as well as a multilingual Q&A session with members of the audience.This event is sponsored by the Etxepare Basque Institute.About the speakerItxaro Borda is a Basque-language writer, poet and reporter. She was born in Baiona, France in 1959, and has a degree in History. She has been writing her whole life, and helped create the Basque-French language magazine 'Maiatz' in which she published her first poetry collection, 'Bizitza nola badoan', in 1984.In 2002, she won the the Premios Euskadi de Literatura prize in the Basque-language literature category for her novel '100% Basque'. In 2022 she published the poetry collection 'Uhartearen mugetan', and another called 'Itzalen tektonika' in 2024.How to attendThis event is open to all, and free to attend. No registration is necessary - just come along!Are you interested in studying Basque?Basque is spoken by over a million people worldwide, mainly on both sides of the western Pyrenees in Spain and France. It is a modern language, and is used in a very wide range of social and cultural contexts, styles, and registers.We offer a Level 8, 20-credit course on the Basque Language for Beginners, available to all students at the University of Edinburgh. It aims to develop good oral, listening, reading, and writing skills in the language, as well as providing some examples of Basque culture and society as contexts for the language. Find out more about studying with us Tags European Languages and Cultures Mar 28 2025 18.00 - 19.00 Basque, French, “outsider” in the home? A Literary Approach to Exile An in-person talk by Itxaro Borda, acclaimed Basque writer, exploring the concept of 'inner exile' - how an individual existing within a society can still be isolated within it. Followed by a Q&A. Room G.06 50 George Square University of Edinburgh EH8 9LH Find the venue: 50 George Square
Mar 28 2025 18.00 - 19.00 Basque, French, “outsider” in the home? A Literary Approach to Exile An in-person talk by Itxaro Borda, acclaimed Basque writer, exploring the concept of 'inner exile' - how an individual existing within a society can still be isolated within it. Followed by a Q&A.
