If you are a translator or are concerned about the lack of books translated into English each year, then you will be interested in this event! A European Literature Day focusing on translation is being held as part of the UK’s Children’s Bookshow, sub-titled ‘Not just found but out there in Translation’. It’s sure to raise lots of interesting discussion. The half-day conference is free but you will need to book a place: contact Suzanne Westbrook at susanneDOTbookshowATgmailDOTcom.
Date: Friday 21st November 2014
Venue: Europe House, 32 Smith Square, SW1P 3EU
Programme:
3.00 Registration
3.30 – 4.30pm A panel discussion on publicity and marketing followed by questions from the audience. Panel members will include David Fickling, publisher at David Fickling Books, who published the best-selling The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Julian Evans, writer, journalist and broadcaster whose work includes The Romantic Road: A Journey Through the Literatures of Europe for BBC Radio 3, and a new translation of André Gide’s The Vatican Cellars. His latest book is Semi Invisible Man: The Life of Norman Lewis. They will be joined by Catherine Bruzzone, publisher at b small publishing; Sasha Dugdale, editor of Modern Poetry in Translation; and Daniel Hahn, award-winning writer and translator, whose translation of The Book of Chameleons by José Eduardo Agualusa won the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.
4.30 – 5.00pm – Tea
5.00 – 6.00pm Are you looking for funding and support for your translation? A panel discussion on funding and marketing opportunities followed by questions from the audience. Panel members will include former literary editor of The Independent and force behind The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, Boyd Tonkin; a representative from the Czech Embassy and Director at the Czech Centre in Lonodn, Tereza Porybna; Nicola
Smyth, Relationship Manager Literature, Arts Council England; a bookseller (to
be announced); and Graham Henderson, founder of Poet in the City and now at
the Rimbaud and Verlaine Foundation.
One of my favorite reads from 2014 was I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosín, trans. from the Spanish by E.M. O’Connor, illus. by Lee White. The writing, translated from Spanish, is rich and powerful, full of imagery. Definitely should win an award for translation and is a wonderful example of translation done right.
Thanks for the recommendation, Corinne – I will look out for it!