The poet was a leading figure in Romania for more than 40 years.
But when her satires of the Ceausescu regime were discovered copied into her friend Gheorghe Ursu's diaries, Ursu was tortured to death. Nina found refuge in New York.
Now in England to do a poetry tour, Nina joins Jenni to talk about her career which spans over 50 years and includes fiction, children's books and most recently, a volume of poetry written in English.
Life Sentence: Selected Poems by Nina Cassian, Anvil Press Poetry ISBN 0856462675
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