Talking with Translators
Translators are possibly the most attentive, thoughtful and engaged of readers. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to read some of our favourite books. Their work is often unacknowledged, underpaid and taken for granted, and yet it’s their words that we read, after they’ve lovingly and laboriously carried them from one language to another.
In our series “Talking With Translators” we discuss the books we love with the people who, maybe second only to their author, know them the most, getting to know more the journey these books have made in order to get into our hands.
Talking with Caroline Waight
Georgia Katakou and Claudia Marzollo talk with the translator, Caroline Waight, who translates from Danish, German and Norwegian. In this interview, as well as talking more broadly about the state of literary translation, we focus on her translation of Woman, Idle by the Swiss writer, Laura Vogt. Our conversation explores the intimate, complex female friendships of the novel, and the societal roles that women play, as well as delving into the specifics of translating from German into English.
Talking with Ian Giles
Kate McNamara and Sofia Blomqvist Rytters interview translator Ian Giles who works from Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian into English. We talk about breaking into literary translation, the value of commercial and genre fiction, and Ian Giles' experience of translating Andrev Walden’s Bloody Awful in Different Ways.
Talking with Ayça Türkoğlu about ‘All Dogs Die’
We talked to Ayça Türkoğlu about translating Cemile Sahin’s All Dogs Die, discussing the challenges of ambiguity, the translator’s presence on the page, and the political resonance of Kurdish history throughout the text.
Talking with Robin Moger about ‘Traces of Enayat’
We talked to Robin Moger about translating Iman Mersal's Traces of Enayat, working with the author, archives and the power dynamics inherent in translation.
Talking with Natasha Lehrer & Lauren Elkin about ‘The Paris Trilogy’
We talked to Natasha Leher and Lauren Elkin about co-translating Colombe Schneck's The Paris Trilogy, working with autofiction in translation and their focus on women's experiences and women's bodies.
Talking with Saskia Vogel about ‘Caesaria’
We talked to Saskia Vogel about translating Hannah Nordenhök's Caesaria, the physical and emotional aspects of translation and her work as a writer.