Vera Rich Poet, Translator, Author, Compiler, Editor, etc. (April 24, 1936 – Dec. 20, 2009) Go to the Like Water, Like Fire Web page     Go to the Belarusian Writers Web page Go to the Famous Belarusians Web page     Go to the A Belarus Miscellany Topic List Search the A Belarus Miscellany Web site

Book jacket photo, Like Water Like Fire, 1971

Introductory Note

Belarusian literature and Belarusians cannot have a better friend than Ms. Vera Rich. For about 50 years, she has made Belarusian literature and especially Belarusian poetry accessible to a much larger world than that of Belarus and the Belarusian-speaking Belarusian diaspora. Beginning with her translations of Belarusian poetry that appeared in poetry magazines of the 1960's, and especially her book-length collection (with introductory essays to Belarusian literature), Like Water, Like Fire (1971) and her subsequent work (see the following for some highlights), Ms. Rich has made a major contribution to Belarusian literature in translation. The A Belarus Miscellany Web site wishes to honor those achievements and share them with as many others as possible.

Note regarding Belarusian versions of poetry that is translated: For a number of reasons, the A Belarus Miscellany Web site includes Belarusian language "originals" of the English translations provided by Ms. Rich (and in a few instances, by other translators). These Belarusian "originals" were located independently of Ms. Rich's translations, and may not be the same versions of the poems that she translated. (This issue is noted in at least one additional location on this Web site.) Poets often revise their works and often more than one published version of a poem exists (as is also often true for other types of creative works, such as novels, essays, paintings, etc.). In other words, more than likely, Ms. Rich did not translate that specific version of the poem included on this Web site. Also in some cases, multiple versions of a poem exist because "revisions" were required by Soviet and other censors. So even though the Belarusian and English version of a poem may appear side by side on this Web site, one cannot assume that the two versions are of the same revision of that poem. That said, it is hoped that having both Belarusian and English versions on the same Web page will aid in the appreciation of both Ms. Rich's work and of the Belarusian original.

Please also remember that these and other works on this Web site are copyrighted works and are provided for your appreciation (and possibly education) but within the limits and restrictions of copyright law. Thank you.

Contents

• Brief biographical sketch from dust jacket to Like Water, Like Fire (1971)
• Updated biographical information
• Links to Belarusian-to-English translations on WWW (and other writings)

Brief Biographical Sketch (from the Like Water, Like fire dust jacket, 1971):

Vera Rich was educated at St. Hilda's College, Oxford and Bedford College, London. She began studying Byelorussian when still a schoolgirl and has been working on material for this book over the last twenty years.

Miss Rich has published three books of original poetry, two volumes of translations from the Ukrainian, and translations of poetry from Polish, Old English and Old Norse. She is also Soviet correspondent for a major scientific magazine and has translated a number of scientific works from Russian and Ukrainian. In 1961 she was chosen by the Congress of the USA to translate the inscription for the monument, which was unveiled in Washington in 1964, to the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko as a "champion of freedom."

Vera Rich has lectured on Slavonic literatures at the University of Birmingham and to literary societies and organisations in London, Edinburgh, Munich, Utrecht and Paris. Of her recent translations of Lesya Ukrainka (1968), Victor Buyniak wrote in the Slavic Review, " Vera Rich's translations. . . are accurate and accomplished in a rich, flowing style."

Note: This book was printed with at least two different dust jackets: links to copies of book cover 1 and book cover 2.

Updated Biographical Information

Publications

1957
• Her first translation from Belarusian published in the emigre newspaper «Бацькаўшчына» (Fatherland); Munich, West Germany.




1960

• Her first collection of poetry, Outlines, was published, and includes the English translation of the poem, "Song of the Bells", an excerpt from Symon Muzyka, Book 1, by Jakub Kolas.




1962

• Founded the poetry magazine, Manifold, that she managed and edited until 1969. During that time, it acquired the reputation of one of the top six "Little" poetry magazines in the UK. (Re-launched in 1998; see current activities, below, including link to Manifold Web site).




1963

• Her second collection of poetry, Portents and Images, was published (The Mitre Press, London), and includes her poem, "On the Anniversary of the Słucak Uprising". This earlier version of the poem was titled, "On the Anniversary of the Battle of Słucak," and had been written in 1958. Both English and Belarusian versions of the updated version of the poem are included on this Web site. The book also includes earlier translations of "Romance", by Maksim Bahdanovič (more formally known as "Venus the Star"), and "Dedication" by Jakub Kolas, from Simon the Musician).




1964

• The publication of the poem, "Zimoj", by Maksim Bahdanovič. This was one of the first of Ms. Rich's Bahdanovič translations ever to be published in a US poetry magazine, The Muse, Vol. 8, No. 2, 1964. It is reprinted in Like Water, Like Fire, p. 73. (Her translation of Bahdanovič's poem, "Romance," had been published in a book of collected poetry in Great Britain the previous year.)




1969

• Invited by the premier scientific weekly Nature to become its Soviet and East European correspondent - a post held for more than 20 years. This meant that Manifold had to be suspended, and left little time for getting her own poetry published, although continued to write it and translate.

  In spite of position as "Soviet and East European Correspondent," was unable to visit Belarus until March 1991. Since then has visited Belarus once or twice a year.




1971

• Like Water, Like Fire: An Anthology of Byelorussian Poetry from 1828 to the Present Day: The first-ever Belarusian poetry anthology in a western language, which was published under the auspices of UNESCO, and later withdrawn under pressure from the Soviet censorship authorities (Glavlit) on the grounds of being politically incorrect.
  Available from belarusianlibraryinlondon@yahoo.com, The Belarusian Library in London, and commercial sources.

• Translation (from the Russian) of The Medvedev Papers (Macmillans, London): An indictment of Soviet censorship and suppression of academic freedom.




1977

• Taras na Parnasie.   annotated and translated by Arnold McMillin and Vera Rich. The Journal of Byelorussian Studies, Vol. IV, No. 1, 1977. See Examples of Vera Rich's Writing.




1982

• The Images Swarm Free: Poems of Ales Harun, Maksim Bahdanovic, and Zmitrok Biadula. Parallel text -- Belarusian and translations. The Anglo-Belarusian Society, London.
  Available from belarusianlibraryinlondon@yahoo.com, The Belarusian Library in London, and commercial sources.




1984

• The Image of the Jew in Soviet Literature: The post-Stalin period. Jakub Blum and Vera Rich; (Ktav, New York). Consists of two separate monographs: a short one on Russian literature by Jakub Blum, and a much longer one on Belarusian literature by Vera Rich.




1992

• Book Review of the reprint of Zmitrok Biadula's   Zydy na Bielarusi;   East European Jewish Affairs, Volume 22, Number 2, Winter 1992. Re-published on the Jews in Belarus Web site. See Examples of Vera Rich's Writing for link to article.
• Article: "A migration of brain versus brawn - Vera Rich muses on who gains from the wandering Eastern scientist."   The New Scientist, issue 1814; 28 March 1992;




1996

• Article: "'Słutzkiya Tkačykhi' ('The Weaver-Women of Słucak'): A Translator's View" by Vera Rich;   Zapisy, print edition only, vol. 22 (BINIM, New York, 1996), pages 45-58.

• Article: Belarus: Nation in Search of a History: 1991 and all that   (Index on Censorship; January, 1996).

• Presentation of a dramatized version of Footprint of the Black Wind in Aberdeen (Scotland). Youth theatre groups from Aberdeen, Homiel, and Clermont-Ferrand (France) participated. (Translations used were by Vera Rich, rather than the versions in the published book.) Note: Book title is also translated as Trace of the Black Wind (Mensk, 1996).

  Excerpts of this book (with translation by Vera Rich) are on the WWW at: "Children of Chernobyl"   (Index on Censorship; January, 1996).




1997

• Article: "Soros Foundation director expelled as Lukashenka tightens his grip"   (Index on Censorship).
• Work to relaunch of poetry magazine, Manifold: Magazine of New Poetry (first new issue, 1998). Change of journalistic commitments made it possible to become more active in poetry and to relaunch Manifold (1998). Lots of Belarusian translations in it -- especially of Natalla Arsiennieva.




1999

• Article:   "News from nowhere: Belarus".     (Index on Censorship, November 12, 1999). Note: The article is re-published on this Web site. See Examples of Vera Rich's Writing.

  This article is a follow up to the article, "Belarus: Nation in Search of a History: 1991 and all that" (1996).

• Translations from Belarusian published in 1999:
• Maksim Tank: "The Hare's House" (a fable), and Nil Hilevic: "A Wonder Came" (describing the magic of the first snow-fall of winter), and "Three Riddles" (night, newspaper, radio).
These are in Andrew Fusek Peters (Editor) Sheep don't go to School — Mad and Magical Children's Poetry, Bloodaxe Books, Newcastle on Tyne, England, 1999. E-mail: editor@bloodaxebooks.demon.co.uk. Refer to the Belarusians in Great Britain Web site for further information.
• Maksim Tank: "The panes of an old mansion," has been accepted for the Home Anthology to be published by   Katabasis Press   - 10 St Martin's Close London NW1 OHR.   Phone/FAX - +44 (0)20 7485 3830.   E-mail: katabasis@katabasis.co.uk




2000

• One of the four translators of Накірункі Свету (Los Puntos Cardinales, The Cardinal Points, Стороны света)   by Carlos Sherman   in the book review section of the Belarusians in Great Britain & Ireland Web site.     (Bielaruski Knihazbor, Mensk, 2000, 96 pp. ISBN 985-6318-78-5)




2001

• Participated in Conference The Role of the Belarusian Diaspora in Preserving and Developing Belarusian Culture   sponsored by the Skaryna Library in London, September 29-30, 2001.   Conference proceedings published in 2003 (London) & again in 2004 (Miensk); see Examples of Vera Rich's Writing.




2002

• In preparation for her own translation (in-progress, at the time of her death in 2009), worked with the three translators/editors (Belarusian, Russian, & Polish) of Новая Зямля (Novaya Zemlya -- The New Land)   by Yakub Kolas (2002).

Related event took place, February, 2002

• Publication of V. Rich's translation from the Belarusian of Yanka (Janka) Kupała's Sonnets. Mastackaja litaratura, 2002. Available on the Biełaruskaja Palička Web site: Sonnets.




2003

• Essay published online, "Vasil Bykaŭ: Belarusian Writer and Patriot," as part of RFE/RL Newsline (the End Note). The original article is found at: http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2003/07/090703.asp, July 9, 2003.
• Essay published, "Belarusian Poetry in Emigration 1945-1990," in Conference Proceedings, The Role of the Belarusian Diaspora in Preserving and Developing Belarusian Culture   sponsored by the Skaryna Library in London, September 29-30, 2001.   See Examples of Vera Rich's Writing.




2004

• A new compilation of Belarusian poetry, poems on liberty: reflections for Belarus   Translated by Vera Rich. Editor: Alaksandra Makavik. Art Director: Hienadz' Macur; Project Coordinator: Valancina Aksak. 312 pp. (2004). ISBN 0-929849-05-1. Published as part of (and available from) Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's "Бібліятэка Свабоды. ХХІ стагодзьдзе" (Library of Liberty, 21st Century).   See Examples of Vera Rich's Writing.




2005

• CD-ROM Introduction (as well as poetry translations & other contributions): "Introduction: Belarusian Literature in Translation."   (Compilation: © National Commission of the Republic of Belarus for UNESCO, 2005. © Yanka Kupala Central Public Library (Minsk, Belarus), 2005.)   See Examples of Vera Rich's Writing.




2006

• Authored poem, in honor of Fr. Alexander Nadson's 80th birthday: "To Fr. Alexander Nadson (an acrostic quasi-villanelle)."   See Examples of Vera Rich's Writing.




Manifold: Magazine of New Poetry

• 1998 to present: Relaunch of poetry magazine, Manifold: Magazine of New Poetry. Change of journalistic commitments made it possible to become more active in poetry and to relaunch Manifold (1998). Lots of Belarusian translations in it -- especially of Natalla Arsiennieva.

Translations from Belarusian in Manifold (Note: Poems appear with the Belarusian language original on facing pages):

Natalla Arsiennieva: "My Native Land," "Happiness," "If We Had the Heart of Vikings...", "Under the Blue Sky," "To Young Poets," and "If I Had Wings" (Manifold 29, Spring, 1998)

Natalla Arsiennieva: "New Year's Eve" (Manifold 30, Winter, 1998/99)

Note: Copies of "New Year's Eve" and "To Young Poets" are also on this A Belarus Miscellany Web site.

Maksim Bahdanovič: "You Tell Me" (Manifold 31, Spring, 1999)

Zmitrok Biadula: "In the Night Fields They Sing. . . ."   (Manifold 32, Midsummer, 1999)

Note: A copy of   "In the Night Fields They Sing. . . ."   is also on this A Belarus Miscellany Web site.

Maksim Bahdanovič: "Romance" ("Venus, new-risen") revised version (Manifold 33, Harvest, 1999); also in the Manifold occasional chapbook, Echoes of 'Venus', 2002.

Note: A copy of "Romance" is also on this A Belarus Miscellany Web site.

Maksim Bahdanovič: "I should like to meet with you on the highway. . ." (untitled) (Manifold 34, Year's End, 1999)

Maksim Tank: "Mother's Hands" (Manifold 35, Spring, 2000)

Carlos Sherman: "Quetzalcoatl" (Manifold 36, Summer, 2000)

Note: Although translated from the Spanish, this poem is part of a collection, The Cardinal Points, published in Mensk, 2000.

Maksim Bahdanovič: "Ah, how the blue-eyed/bird is singing so sweetly. . ." (untitled) (Manifold 37, February-April, 2001)

Maksim Bahdanovič: "My dear one, recall. . ." (Manifold 38, May-July, 2001).

Note: Information about Manifold issues 39 through 42 is currently unavailable.

Ales' Harun: "The Nightingale" (Manifold 43, Winter/Spring, 2003).

Natalla Arsiennieva: "Life" (Manifold 45, Autumn/Winter, 2003/4).

Carlos Sherman: "For the First Time" (Manifold 46, Spring, 2004)

Note: Although translated from the Spanish, this poem is part of a collection, The Cardinal Points, published in Mensk, 2000.

Natalla Burdziejka: "The Miracle" (Manifold 47, Summer, 2004).

Natalla Ulasava: "Whisper of forest waters. . ." (Manifold 48, Autumn, 2004).

Note: Also published as part of the collection, Poems on Liberty (RFE/RL, 2004). See Examples of Vera Rich's Writing.




Undated

• Published numerous scholarly scientific and economic texts.

• Published three collections of her own poetry, including original poems about Belarus: "On the anniversary of the Slutsk uprising," "Enigma," and "Recipe for a Miracle."
  Note: A copy of   "On the Anniversary of the Slucak Uprising" (1958),   is also on this A Belarus Miscellany Web site.

• Published three books of translations from Ukrainian.

Other Activities

1970 -1990
• Work with human rights and pro-democracy Movements During 1970 - 1990, was deeply involved with human rights and pro-democracy movements in the USSR and its "satellites" — worked closely with campaign against the abuse of psychiatry for political purposes, Polish Solidarity and its predecessor the Workers' Defence Committee (KOR), the Beszelo group and Duna Kor in Hungary, etc. — with the occasional inevitable brush with the security forces.

Awards

1960s
• Awarded a number of poetry prizes in the UK and the USA.

1997

• Awarded Ivan Franko Prize. (One of the top two awards of the Ukrainian Writers' Union) Awarded in recognition of 40 years service to Ukrainian literature. (Prize was actually presented in May 1998).

Recent Activities & Web Links

• A poetry contest in Ms. Rich's honor is being held on the allpoetry.com Web site (entries must be submitted by early January, 2010; see allpoetry.com Web site for details).
• Contributed to the allpoetry.com Web site with her own poetry, and some translations as well (4 of which are listed at this link). (Note: Additional poems of Ms. Rich's and her contributions to discussions on allpoetry.com are listed at: Poems by Vera Rich.)
  Two more of her poems, Two Poems of WWII, are on the winningwriters.com Web site.
• Work-in-progress (at the time of her death): Translation of the 1100-line, book-length, Novaya Zemlya («Новая Зямля») by Jakub Kolas.

• Continued her career as journalist, writing regularly for Times Higher Education Supplement, Physics World, The Tablet, Index on Censorship, etc. Is deputy editor of The Ukrainian Review (a scholarly interdisciplinary journal), and also deputy editor of Central Asia Newsfile — a monthly newsletter for those doing business with the Central Asian Republics of the former Soviet Union.

• Continued as manager and editor of poetry magazine, Manifold: Magazine of New Poetry (see above & follow link).

Ms. Rich has graciously permitted the inclusion of many examples of her work on this A Belarus Miscellany Web site.

All poems are copyright by Vera Rich. Most of the Web pages include Belarusian-language versions of the poems (or links to them). Note: Most of these Belarusian-language versions, whether in Cyrillic or Lacinka, are in Unicode (UTF-8) font encoding).

• Vera Rich's Belarusian to English Translations (and other writings)