Todd Fredson is a poet, a critic, and a translator of Afro-francophone and West African literature. He is the author of two poetry collections, Century Worm (New Issues Press, 2018) and The Crucifix-Blocks (Tebot Bach, 2012), which won the Patricia Bibby First Book Award. He has made French to English translations of two books by Ivorian poet Josué Guébo, Think of Lampedusa (African Poetry Book Series, University of Nebraska Press, 2017) and My country, tonight (Action Books, 2016), as well as Ivorian poet Tanella Boni’s collection, The future has an appointment with the dawn (APBS, UNP, 2018), which was a finalist for the 2019 Best Translated Book Award and the 2019 National Translation Award. Fredson's translation of Boni's most recent poetry collection, There where it's so bright in me, which won the 2018 Prix Théophile Gautier from the French Academy, is forthcoming from UNP. He has worked with Azo Vauguy to translate from French and Bété to English Vauguy’s book-length poem, Zakwato, which is an adaptation of a myth from the Bété ethnic group in Cote d'Ivoire. He collaborates with West African slam poets and storytellers, as well. His poetry, translations, nonfiction, and essays appear in American Poetry Review, Boston Review, Jacket2, Prairie Schooner, Best American Experimental Writing 2020, Warscapes, and other journals and anthologies. He holds an MFA from Arizona State University and a PhD in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Southern California. He specializes in contemporary and 20th century poetry and poetics, transnational and decolonial studies, African literature and poetics, and literary translation. He has been a Fulbright Scholar and NEA Translation Fellow.
 

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