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

From L-R: “ÆDNAN” by Linnea Axelsson, trans. by Saskia Vogel; “Your Utopia” by Bora Chung, trans. by Anton Hur; “The Forbidden Notebook” by Alba de Céspedes, trans. by Ann Goldstein

Thursday, February 1:

Alba de Céspedes and Elsa Morante with Ann Goldstein, Jenny McPhee, and Ruth Ben-Ghiat | Translators Ann Goldstein and Jenny McPhee will be in conversation with historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat about Alba de Céspedes and Elsa Morante, mid-century Italian writers with profound feminist, anti fascist, and literary legacies. In-person. Hosted by Rizzoli Bookstore. More info here. Starts at 6:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Saturday, February 3:

Master Class in Translation with Angela Rodel | Winner of the 2023 International Booker Prize for Her Translation of Georgi Gospodinov’s Time Shelter. Please join the Harriman Institute for a deep dive into the poetry and prose of Georgi Gospodinov. Starting with a look at his poetics and an attempt to translate his “I’m Dying a la Pasternak” (an ironic reference to the Russian writer’s famous poem “Winter Night”), we will then turn to a passage from his novel Physics of Sorrow, that uses much of the same word and sound play in prose. Knowledge of Bulgarian or other Slavic language not required. In-person. Hosted by the Harriman Institute at Columbia University. More info here. 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. (ET)

“The Discreet Monsters of the Past”: Angela Rodel on Translating Bulgarian Literature | Please join the Harriman Institute for a discussion between 2023 International Booker Prize-winning translator Angela Rodel and Harriman Institute Director Valentina Izmirlieva. Rodel will discuss her extraordinary career as a literary translator from Bulgarian. In the course of the conversation, Rodel will read excerpts from various Bulgarian works she has translated, including Georgi Gospodinov’s Time Shelter, Vera Mutafchieva’s The Case of Cem, and Joanna Elmy’s Made of Guilt, reflecting on the way these works reframe and even subvert traditional Bulgarian narratives. In-person. Hosted by the Harriman Institute at Columbia University. More info here. 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. (ET)

 

Wednesday, February 7:

The International Library: Global Indigenous Stories | Tommy Orange talks with Linnea Axelsson, Alexis Wright, and Saskia Vogel about their novels. Axelsson’s Ædnan, translated by Saskia Vogel, is a multigenerational novel-in-verse about two Sámi families and their quest to stay together across a century of migration, violence, and colonial trauma. Wright’s Praiseworthy is a phantasmagorical epic following one family contending with interconnected crises amidst a mysterious cloud encroaching on their Northern Australian town, heralding both an ecological catastrophe and a gathering of the ancestors. Axelsson, Vogel, and Orange will appear in person at the Center for Architecture + Design, 140 Sutter St., San Francisco (1 p.m. PT) with Wright joining remotely. The event will be live-streamed with an in-person audience at The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn, NY and The London Library in London, UK. Hosted by The International Library. More info here and here. Starts at 4:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Thursday, February 8:

Transnational Literature Series: Bora Chung and Anton Hur with Hannah Bae | Join the Transnational Literature Series at Brookline Booksmith for a virtual event with author Bora Chung and translator Anton Hur to discuss and celebrate the release of Your Utopia. They will be in conversation with journalist and writer Hannah Bae. Virtual. Hosted by Brookline Booksmith. More info here. Starts at 7:00 p.m. (ET)

 

Friday, February 9:

Cross-Stitch Launch - Jazmina Barrera & Christina MacSweeney w/ Rachel Atkin | Online launch of the UK edition of Jazmina Barrera's debut novel Cross-Stitch, translated by Christina MacSweeney, where both Jazmina and Christina will be in conversation with Rachel Atkin (better known as @booksnpunks) discussing the novel's themes, translation and Latin American literature. The discussion will be followed by a Q+A. Any money donated for tickets can go towards the purchase of a book! Virtual. Hosted by MTO Press. More info here. 2:00 - 4:00 pm. (ET)

GOLD: Rumi with Haleh Liza Gafori, Shahzad Ismaily & Friends | Join The Public Theater for an uplifting and transportive evening of music and recitation, showcasing the poetry of the beloved sage and mystic Rumi, and featuring acclaimed translator and vocalist, Haleh Liza Gafori, Grammy-nominated musician Shahzad Ismaily, and violinist Trina Basu of Brooklyn Raga Massive. Singing in Persian and reciting in English, Haleh Liza Gafori will weave original musical compositions, stories, and translations from her book GOLD Poems by Rumi, published by New York Review Books. In-person. Hosted by The Public Theater. More info here. Starts at 9:30 p.m. (ET)

 

Tuesday, February 20:

ELA & The Strand Present: Ross Perlin + Thomas Dyja: Language City | Join us for an in-person event with linguist, writer and translator, Ross Perlin, for the launch of his new book Language City, a captivating portrait of contemporary New York City through six speakers of little-known and overlooked languages and diving into the incredible history of the most linguistically diverse place ever to have existed on the planet. Joining Ross in conversation is New York Times Notable author of New York, New York, New York Thomas Dyja. In-person. Co-Hosted by The Strand and the Endangered Language Alliance (ELA). More info here. 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. (ET)

 

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