I LOVE THIS. I didn't start paying attention to translators until I kept recognizing Megan McDowell's name and then also when I was searching for a digital copy of Crime and Punishment. Sara Hildreth talked about loving a certain editors work and I think that falls in with this idea too. Now I want to go track mine....
The editor idea is fascinating!! I feel like I've done that semi-unconsciously by following a few editors and agents I know/know of on ig or twitter, and then they'll so often be posting / reposting from the novelists they've worked with, so I keep seeing a handful of their titles over and over until they finally stick and I pick them up
I like this project Regan and I look forward to more of your updates! I haven’t been following any translators but if I want to read classic Russian lit I make sure I get the Pevear and Volokhonsky translations.
I’m not able to read the whole article because I don’t have subscription but I didn’t like the parts I read. Really, they’re bad?? I didn’t really feel that way when I read Anna Karenina or Master and Margarita but I have nothing to compare it to. Also before I purchased the said books I really researched about the best translator. P&V was the most recommended.
i love this and admire this level of organization, and a pretty novel way to find new books! i recently read a novel i found a little removed (what is mine, jose henrique bortoluci) and was very intrigued to see the translator has also just worked on a book that from a quick skim had a VERY different voice (dengue boy, michel nieva). this inspired me to check out the latter as a point of comparison…. once i get through my current TBR. i am
not nearly organized to have a proper list; just floating in the wind of my library hold list.
have just looked the bortoluci & nieva titles up and you are so right, those are so very different- you'll have to loop me into any revelations/conclusions you reach after finishing (after your current tbr of course). Floating in the wind of a library hold list sounds tranquil, may need to just chill & let the current take me sometime 😌
thanks, Petya!! I read Lydia Davis' Madame Bovary in the fall (stunning), but that's it so far! Do you have a recommendation for the next that should be on my list from her (proust??)? And I have Lauren Elkin's Scaffolding on my shelf but had no idea she translated! Another theme/trend(?) that's been on my mind recently are translators-turned-novelists in their own right... Anton Hur came out with his novel last year, Jennifer Croft, & many more (spotted Jen Calleja and Bruna Dantas Lobato on my grad course syllabus for later this spring, too)!
Lydia Davis is HILARIOUS! Read her short story collections. My favorite is Can't and Won't. She is clever and funny and completely at ease with herself. I am obsessed! I have yet to read Proust but this conversation is making me think that I may be ready.
Elkin's translated the third book in the Constance Debre Trilogie and Simone deBeauvoir's The Inseparables, among other things. Scaffolding is amazing, it's one of my most favorite books I read last year.
“I wasn’t only curious about who Shyue would translate next, but about the many translators whose work I’ve already read across authors. How have they built their own niche ‘syllabi’ of writers they’ve found important or moving or compelling enough to translate?” SO interesting. Loved this read. Thank you for the mention ❤️
i love this!! i follow translator Anton Hur’s work as he translates lots of korean literature, as well as others! looking forward to reading more of your posts on translation 🥹🙏
I hate to admit I haven't read any of Anton's work (yet!) but I feel like I know him so well through his interviews, his online presence, etc; he's such a wonderful advocate for translation!! Always demystifying what it means to translate, be a translator, break into the profession
definitely!! his pieces on translation (and even his personal blog) have helped so much in understanding the translation industry! i’m currently drafting up a post reviewing A Magical Girl Retires, which he translated ☺️ i personally would start there!!
Incredible newsletter, Regan! My unsurprising favourite translator is Anne Carson, but I’m also going to throw in the English translation of A Very Easy Death (which I read in both French and in translation in English). I was surprised to realise that a man (Patrick O’Brien to be precise!) translated the book into English, given how deeply it deals with the experience of aging, menopause, and death in the female body, and mother-daughter relationships. I resonate with your self-imposed curriculums also — I’ve aspired to get through many an elaborate syllabus I’ve designed for myself but then I get too excited and just design another one before I get through the first lol. And thank you for the mention ❤️❤️❤️
adore Anne Carson's Sappho !! and I'll be looking into A Very Easy Death! I haven't read any de Beauvoir (which I need to remedy asap), but I've never even heard of this one, although just from what you've mentioned about it, thematically I'm really drawn in. And yes, I absolutely resonate with the fact that sometimes the designing and planning behind these elaborate syllabi and projects is more exciting than their execution oh well ! too many things to read, explore, think about :)
so kind of you to share my piece. i love this idea of following a translator's work. one translator i love is jerry pinto, from india, he translates beautifully and has really wonderful taste, i'd highly recommend if you're looking
thank you!! through a quick google, I just found myself sucked into this interview with jerry about translation by the Indian Cultural Forum, and it's so incredible: "To begin with you have a text to which you are drawn. This is a quite extraordinary moment if you are also a writer because it is as if you have a cuckoo in your nest. It is an alien life form that demands nourishment and attention..." (https://indianculturalforum.in/2018/11/27/time-for-polyphony-jerry-pinto-on-the-task-of-a-translator/) thank you so much for sharing that you're a fan of his, putting him on my tbr <3
I love seeing Megan in your newsletters, and I loved spotting MY HUSBAND there too recently, coincidentally at the same time I spotted someone reading it near me in a cafe, AND as I was drafting this newsletter and thinking I might include it –three nudges from the universe, i guess I'm meant to read it :)
Regan!!!! You inspire me. Now I'm gazing up at my bookshelf trying to find my translators. Fun fact--Ron Padgett is a prolific translator of French poetry. M.S. Merwin would also be a favorite poet-translator (from French, Spanish, Latin and Portuguese, among others). Translation is poetry!
Thank you for the mention <3 I'm glad you enjoyed the Padgett piece! Xx
Jennifer Croft comes to mind for me. She is a big advocate for translator visibility and recognition of their writing skills as well. Great post, Regan! I am impressed by your book tracking longevity and how you are thinking about this completionist project— I will be following!
Major fan girl moment from me that Julia Sanches is your professor because she IS one of my fav translators. I think I have read 6 or 7 of her translations? Its at the point now where if I just see her name, I'll buy it even if I'm not sure on the book, because I enjoy her translations so much! I definitely let my favourite translators curate my reading - I so want to read another Monica Cure x Liliana Corobca collab. It is always such a pleasant surprise when I pick up a book and while the original author might be new to me, I recognise the translator and i feel as though I am in very safe hands!
Oop just saw you say in a comment you've got Bruna Dantas Lobato on your syllabus too - her translation of The Dark Side of Skin which I read last year is soooo good. She also included a translators note at the end about the politics of capitalising the 'b' for Black because it is so inherently American and was unsure on whether doing it to a Brazilian book was disingenuous. I found it so fascinating and if you at all speak about that in any seminar dial me in because I need to be part of that convo ;)
I LOVE THIS. I didn't start paying attention to translators until I kept recognizing Megan McDowell's name and then also when I was searching for a digital copy of Crime and Punishment. Sara Hildreth talked about loving a certain editors work and I think that falls in with this idea too. Now I want to go track mine....
The editor idea is fascinating!! I feel like I've done that semi-unconsciously by following a few editors and agents I know/know of on ig or twitter, and then they'll so often be posting / reposting from the novelists they've worked with, so I keep seeing a handful of their titles over and over until they finally stick and I pick them up
we love Megan McDowell
I like this project Regan and I look forward to more of your updates! I haven’t been following any translators but if I want to read classic Russian lit I make sure I get the Pevear and Volokhonsky translations.
Lots of love for P&V !!! They're my pick too, (although this takedown from Janet Malcolm is at least worth a read https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/06/23/socks-translating-anna-karenina/)
I’m not able to read the whole article because I don’t have subscription but I didn’t like the parts I read. Really, they’re bad?? I didn’t really feel that way when I read Anna Karenina or Master and Margarita but I have nothing to compare it to. Also before I purchased the said books I really researched about the best translator. P&V was the most recommended.
i love this and admire this level of organization, and a pretty novel way to find new books! i recently read a novel i found a little removed (what is mine, jose henrique bortoluci) and was very intrigued to see the translator has also just worked on a book that from a quick skim had a VERY different voice (dengue boy, michel nieva). this inspired me to check out the latter as a point of comparison…. once i get through my current TBR. i am
not nearly organized to have a proper list; just floating in the wind of my library hold list.
Laurel I'd be so intrigued on how you find this because of how much I loved what is mine in contrast to you! Maybe I'll read it with you..
Oooh, I'll check in when I get to it! (I swear I did like What is Mine, I took so many notes on it hahaha)
have just looked the bortoluci & nieva titles up and you are so right, those are so very different- you'll have to loop me into any revelations/conclusions you reach after finishing (after your current tbr of course). Floating in the wind of a library hold list sounds tranquil, may need to just chill & let the current take me sometime 😌
I loved this post so much! My inbox missed you!!!
Adding two more to this glorious list: Lydia Davis (the GOAT) and Lauren Elkin, both from French. Both amazing on their own literary merit.
thanks, Petya!! I read Lydia Davis' Madame Bovary in the fall (stunning), but that's it so far! Do you have a recommendation for the next that should be on my list from her (proust??)? And I have Lauren Elkin's Scaffolding on my shelf but had no idea she translated! Another theme/trend(?) that's been on my mind recently are translators-turned-novelists in their own right... Anton Hur came out with his novel last year, Jennifer Croft, & many more (spotted Jen Calleja and Bruna Dantas Lobato on my grad course syllabus for later this spring, too)!
Lydia Davis is HILARIOUS! Read her short story collections. My favorite is Can't and Won't. She is clever and funny and completely at ease with herself. I am obsessed! I have yet to read Proust but this conversation is making me think that I may be ready.
Elkin's translated the third book in the Constance Debre Trilogie and Simone deBeauvoir's The Inseparables, among other things. Scaffolding is amazing, it's one of my most favorite books I read last year.
“I wasn’t only curious about who Shyue would translate next, but about the many translators whose work I’ve already read across authors. How have they built their own niche ‘syllabi’ of writers they’ve found important or moving or compelling enough to translate?” SO interesting. Loved this read. Thank you for the mention ❤️
thank you for reading!!
i love this!! i follow translator Anton Hur’s work as he translates lots of korean literature, as well as others! looking forward to reading more of your posts on translation 🥹🙏
I hate to admit I haven't read any of Anton's work (yet!) but I feel like I know him so well through his interviews, his online presence, etc; he's such a wonderful advocate for translation!! Always demystifying what it means to translate, be a translator, break into the profession
definitely!! his pieces on translation (and even his personal blog) have helped so much in understanding the translation industry! i’m currently drafting up a post reviewing A Magical Girl Retires, which he translated ☺️ i personally would start there!!
Added to my tbr thank you!!
Incredible newsletter, Regan! My unsurprising favourite translator is Anne Carson, but I’m also going to throw in the English translation of A Very Easy Death (which I read in both French and in translation in English). I was surprised to realise that a man (Patrick O’Brien to be precise!) translated the book into English, given how deeply it deals with the experience of aging, menopause, and death in the female body, and mother-daughter relationships. I resonate with your self-imposed curriculums also — I’ve aspired to get through many an elaborate syllabus I’ve designed for myself but then I get too excited and just design another one before I get through the first lol. And thank you for the mention ❤️❤️❤️
adore Anne Carson's Sappho !! and I'll be looking into A Very Easy Death! I haven't read any de Beauvoir (which I need to remedy asap), but I've never even heard of this one, although just from what you've mentioned about it, thematically I'm really drawn in. And yes, I absolutely resonate with the fact that sometimes the designing and planning behind these elaborate syllabi and projects is more exciting than their execution oh well ! too many things to read, explore, think about :)
so kind of you to share my piece. i love this idea of following a translator's work. one translator i love is jerry pinto, from india, he translates beautifully and has really wonderful taste, i'd highly recommend if you're looking
thank you!! through a quick google, I just found myself sucked into this interview with jerry about translation by the Indian Cultural Forum, and it's so incredible: "To begin with you have a text to which you are drawn. This is a quite extraordinary moment if you are also a writer because it is as if you have a cuckoo in your nest. It is an alien life form that demands nourishment and attention..." (https://indianculturalforum.in/2018/11/27/time-for-polyphony-jerry-pinto-on-the-task-of-a-translator/) thank you so much for sharing that you're a fan of his, putting him on my tbr <3
ah! beautiful, he's so poetic. blue cobalt is a good book if you're looking for a place to start. enjoy <3
I love your method for breaking down the translators you’ve already read! Megan McDowell is my #1 & loved Emma Ramadan’s MY HUSBAND
I love seeing Megan in your newsletters, and I loved spotting MY HUSBAND there too recently, coincidentally at the same time I spotted someone reading it near me in a cafe, AND as I was drafting this newsletter and thinking I might include it –three nudges from the universe, i guess I'm meant to read it :)
Regan!!!! You inspire me. Now I'm gazing up at my bookshelf trying to find my translators. Fun fact--Ron Padgett is a prolific translator of French poetry. M.S. Merwin would also be a favorite poet-translator (from French, Spanish, Latin and Portuguese, among others). Translation is poetry!
Thank you for the mention <3 I'm glad you enjoyed the Padgett piece! Xx
What a fun crossover that Padgett translates as well! :) I'll be looking into his translations & Merwin's thank you!!
Loved this!! Saw Anton Hur recently and took note off all he recommended as well.
what a cool opportunity!! I'm sure he has incredible taste
Love this! It never occurred to me to follow a translator’s work like you would an author's but you just inspired me 😄
you'll have to let me know if/when you end up picking someone!
Jennifer Croft comes to mind for me. She is a big advocate for translator visibility and recognition of their writing skills as well. Great post, Regan! I am impressed by your book tracking longevity and how you are thinking about this completionist project— I will be following!
Ooh love this reading endeavor! I think I’m going to try digging through the translated lit I’ve read and see if any common translators pop up.
Major fan girl moment from me that Julia Sanches is your professor because she IS one of my fav translators. I think I have read 6 or 7 of her translations? Its at the point now where if I just see her name, I'll buy it even if I'm not sure on the book, because I enjoy her translations so much! I definitely let my favourite translators curate my reading - I so want to read another Monica Cure x Liliana Corobca collab. It is always such a pleasant surprise when I pick up a book and while the original author might be new to me, I recognise the translator and i feel as though I am in very safe hands!
Oop just saw you say in a comment you've got Bruna Dantas Lobato on your syllabus too - her translation of The Dark Side of Skin which I read last year is soooo good. She also included a translators note at the end about the politics of capitalising the 'b' for Black because it is so inherently American and was unsure on whether doing it to a Brazilian book was disingenuous. I found it so fascinating and if you at all speak about that in any seminar dial me in because I need to be part of that convo ;)