Upcoming Translation Events (Virtual & In-Person): May 2024

Wednesday, May 1:

Contemporary Translated Works: Beijing Sprawl Book Group | On Wednesday, May 1, join us for an introductory discussion online with Jeremy Tiang, who translated Beijing Sprawl from Chinese into English. Dive into the rich tapestry of global literature with this inaugural meeting for our Contemporary Translated Works book group, presented in partnership with the Mechanics’ Institute. Virtual. Hosted by the Center for the Art of Translation. More info here. Starts at 3:00 p.m. (ET)

Thursday, May 2:

“The Hollow Pillars of the Law”: Chilean Poetry in the Time of Pinochet | Join us in the Skylight Room (9100) at the CUNY Graduate Center for “The Hollow Pillars of the Law”: Chilean Poetry in the Time of Pinochet, a reading and conversation with translators and scholars Marguerite Feitlowitz, Ángeles Donoso Macaya and Esther Allen. The evening will begin with a reading from Marguerite Feitlowitz from her translation of Ennio Moltedo’s Night, published by World Poetry Books in 2022, followed by a conversation with Ángeles Donoso Macaya and Esther Allen, moderated by Lost & Found events fellow Coco Fitterman. In-person. Hosted by the CUNY Graduate Center. More info here. 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. (ET)

Monday, May 6:

The International Library: Geetanjali Shree and Daisy Rockwell on Tomb of Sand | When acclaimed author Geetanjali Shree first released her novel Tomb of Sand in 2018, it pushed the boundaries of experimental Hindi literature. After the publication of an English translation by Daisy Rockwell, Tomb of Sand received the 2022 International Booker Prize, becoming the first work originally written in a South Asian language to do so. Hybrid (In-person and Virtual). Hosted by the Center for the Art of Translation. More info here and here. Starts at 1:00 p.m. (ET)

Yom Hashoah Book Talk: A Conversation with Eva Umlauf and Daniel Mendelsohn, moderated by Shelley Frisch | Join us for a conversation between Eva Umlauf, author of the powerful memoir The Number on Your Forearm is Blue Like Your Eyes, and Daniel Mendelsohn, author of The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million, as she shares her extraordinary journey from being a toddler in Auschwitz to navigating life under communism and becoming a successful pediatrician and psychotherapist. The event will be moderated by distinguished translator of this book, Shelley Frisch. Hybrid (In-person and Virtual). Hosted by 92NY. More info here. Starts at 7:30 p.m. (ET)

Friday, May 10:

Women Poets in Translation at Newcastle Poetry Festival | Both women in translation and women translators have long been underrepresented in publishing. In 2018, less than one third of books translated into English were by women. So we’re celebrating two leading poets from Tbilisi, Georgia, and their three collaborative translators. Salome Benidze’s work explores romantic love and all its corollaries: longing, regret, trauma, confession, revelation, even war. Meanwhile, Diana Anphimiadi’s award-winning collection Why I No Longer Write Poems takes us from the contemporary thrum of a train carriage to the ancient grievance of the women of Greek myth. These poets have been translated by three prize-winning women writers, Natalia Bukia-Peters with Helen Mort and Jean Sprackland respectively, all of whom will join us on stage in Newcastle. We’ll hear poems in Georgian and their English translations, followed by a discussion about women in poetry, translation and language. Hybrid (In-person and Virtual). More info here. Purchase livestream tickets here. Starts at 9:00 a.m. (ET)

Colloquy #13: Translators in Conversation with Shangyang Fang, Joana Urtasun, and Mayada Ibrahim | Please join World Poetry Books, Montez Press Radio and Unnameable Books for the latest installment of Colloquy: Translators in Conversation, with readings and discussion from Shangyang Fang, Joana Urtasun, and Mayada Ibrahim. Hybrid (In-person and Virtual). This event will be hosted by Unnameable Books and live-streamed by Montez Press Radio. More info here. 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. (ET)

Kalpana Raina & Adam Dalva at Community Bookstore | Please join us at Community Bookstore where Kalpana Raina will discuss her collaborative translation of For Now, It Is Night by Hari Krishna Kaul. Kalpana will be in conversation with professor, editor, and novelist Adam Dalva. In-person. Hosted by Community Bookstore. More info here and here. 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. (ET)

Tuesday, May 21:

Write the World: A Day in Translation - A Palette of Languages: Translating into or from Non-Native Tongues | Many translators have been told that one can only translate into one’s native language(s). In this panel, we’ll hear from translators who have contested this assertion, bravely ferrying literature from cultures and tongues they grew up with or later built deep connections with. What are the trajectories they’ve taken from wanting to work with these languages to actually doing it? What are the challenges and stereotypes faced by translators working across a palette of languages, including ones that aren’t their first? How and when do “accented translations” land as “bad or good” English, and why even label them? How can translators who work with non-native tongues foster a sense of community, and how can the translation world celebrate such remarkable contributions? Panelists include Isabella Corletto, Nguyễn An Lý, and Sonakshi Srivastava. Moderated by Barbara Ofosu-Somuah. Virtual. Hosted by the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA). More info here. 10:00 - 11:15 a.m. (ET)

Write the World: A Day in Translation - What I Wish I’d Known: General Professional Advice for Translators | Whether you’re publishing your first book or your tenth, this session is for you! This expert panel of editors, writers, and publicists will share their secrets on landing a book contract, then creating a buzz about your forthcoming title. We’ll discuss what to do during the all-important 3-4 months before publication, general marketing strategies, getting the most out of social media, getting your work reviewed, boosting sales, and winning post-publication prizes and awards. Special topics will include the differences in publishing in the UK vs the US, as well as publishing children’s books and poetry. Time will be reserved to answer your questions. Panelists include Katie Freeman and Chad W. Post. Moderated by Nancy Naomi Carlson. Virtual. Hosted by the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA). More info here. 12:00 - 1:15 p.m. (ET)

Write the World: A Day in Translation - AI Translation: Fears, Opportunities, and the Future | Since the fall of 2022 when ChatGPT was released to the public, society has been inundated with information about what AI can do for you, and think pieces about how AI will destroy many a creative career. Every ad for Grammarly can feel like a nail in the coffin for working translators, yet there remains the possibility that large language models (LLM) could increase translation productivity and remove some of the tedious tasks from our lives. In this Q&A, journalist Timothy B. Lee will share his research on AI and discuss its various impacts on the world of both technical and literary translation. Moderated by Chenxin Jiang. Virtual. Hosted by the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA). More info here. 2:00 - 3:15 p.m. (ET)

Write the World: A Day in Translation - What Publishers Want: How to Pitch, Present, and Promote Books, sponsored by the Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) | Translators are often the first people to discover a compelling book in another language, but they may grapple with which steps they should take in order to pitch the project to a publisher. What should they present in order for the work to have the best chance of being accepted? And how should they best use their own networks to promote the work? In this panel, we talk with publishers about the process and how to help translators work with translation grants, build better publisher networks, and have better tools and strategies when reaching out to publishers. Panelists include Michel Moushabeck, Laura K. Fish, and John Siciliano. Moderated by Erin L. Cox. Virtual. Hosted by the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA). More info here. 4:00 - 5:15 p.m. (ET)

Friday, May 31:

World Poetry Spring Book Launch: Fisher, Owen, Reeck | Join us at Topos Too in celebrating the launch of three new volumes of poetry in translation: In the Glittering Maw: Selected Poems by Joyce Mansour, translated from French by C. Francis Fisher; What of the Earth Was Saved by Leeladhar Jagoori, translated from Hindi by Matt Reeck; Document Shredding Museum by Afrizal Malna, translated from Indonesian by Daniel Owen. C. Francis Fisher, Matt Reeck, and Daniel Owen will read from their translations. Books will be for sale. In-person. Hosted by World Poetry Books. More info here. 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. (ET)

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