Mandana Mashayekhi-Ghoyonloo

• School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, Newcastle University
• Email: m.mashayekhi-ghoyonloo@newcastle.ac.uk

Responding to the oeuvre of the Northumbrian poet, Basil Bunting, this investigation will produce a collection of modern ghazals and free verse poems as well as a 30,000 word essay. The essay will examine the relationship between English Modernist poetics and Persian poetry through the close analysis of Basil Bunting’s poems and translations. Casting a new light on how Persian poetry influenced Basil Buntings modernist poetry, the creative work will explore the creative intersection between these two schools. The critical investigation will analyse the viewpoints in Bunting’s works and the process involved in creating, focusing on "The Spoils” (1951), a poem with explicit Persian symbols, and “Briggflatts” (1965) – his most celebrated poem. As a Creative Writing PhD researcher, I will produce a collection of poetry as well as a critical thesis.  The critical component of my PhD project will examine the impact of Persian poetry on Basil Bunting’s poems. Through scrutinizing Basil Bunting’s translations from Persian poetry, such as   Cat and the Mouse (Mūsh o Gorbeh) by Obeyd Zākāni (d. 1371) and his translations from Ferdowsi(940 – 1020), Rudaki (858 – 941 )I investigate his attitude and line of thought to understand his interest in Persian poetry and culture in order to discover their impact on his own poems.  My analysis will use an interdisciplinary perspective and I will engage with discourses of literature, religion and history, as well as translation studies.

Supervisory Team: Prof. Bill Herbert, English Literature, Language and Linguistics (Newcastle), Dr Alex Niven, English Literature, Language and Linguistics (Newcastle), Dr Paul Batchelor, English Studies (Durham).

Start Date: September 2016