Still, I like to at least skim through the headlines to see what’s going on. I’ll also tweet certain links I think others would like. But not everyone is on Twitter, so today I thought I’d share a few of the items I found of particular interest over the past week.

Apply for Summer Translation Residency in Lagrasse, France  j.mp/JYVWXb (on Arabic Literature (in English))

PEN World Voices: Make it New, Make it International (Dammit)! j.mp/Knl39T (on Publishing Perspectives)

20th Century Fox Options Self-Published Novel j.mp/KgLk5T (on Galley Cat)

[sic] – A Journal of Literature, Culture and Literary Translation is Accepting Submissions j.mp/KWkAqJ

Writer ’s plea: Open our market… and our minds through literary translation j.mp/J387GQ

Opening Up the World: an Interview with Literary Translator Michael Henry Heim j.mp/IMO5j5

If you find these links at all interesting or useful, leave a comment to let me know and I’ll consider making this a regular feature!

Finding My Voice — And Subverting It

Writing is all about voice. Blog posts, articles and books abound on this very subject: defining voice, finding it, understanding it, analyzing it, strengthening it! As a writer, it’s something I work hard at in the hopes of one day mastering my own individual writing style. As an undercover writer (aka literary translator), however, I have to work just as hard at subverting my voice to ensure the author’s shines through every word and phrase.

It can be a fine line to walk, and I must acknowledge that, no matter how hard I try, my voice will always peek through in some small measure.

You see, there is no such thing as a “neutral” or “perfect” or “definitive” translation. Translators are individuals with a particular background, education, life experience and, therefore, personal vocabulary and style. The choices we make when translating will invariably reflect this personality.

If the same text were translated by two different people, you would get two entirely different  renditions. One will not necessarily be better or worse than the other; they are just informed by different realities. Similarly, as a reader, whether you like one more than another is also a case of personal preference given your own background.

Regardless, my primary aim as a literary translator is to analyze and capture the author’s voice. So, how exactly do I do that? How do I ensure that I subvert my voice to the author’s, prevent too much of my own from shining through?

For me, it is about listening closely to the text. I must study it to see what the author has done and make decisions in the translation that reflect the author’s choices.

Whenever I begin a new book, I read it through in its entirety at least once. I then jot notes on a macro level: What did the text evoke? What did I see and feel as I was reading it? Then, when I get down to the actual task of translation, I analyze the text on a micro level, looking at sentence structure and vocabulary choice. Does the author prefer passive to active? Long sentences to short? Are the verbs punchy or understated? How are the metaphors structured? What vocabulary is specific to the time in which the story is set?

All of these aspects are carefully considered in order to make a myriad of style choices along the way. The result, I hope, is a faithful portrayal of the author’s voice. As a new creation, however, there is inevitably a hint of me, too.

This year, fellow translator Lise Capitan was my guest. Lise shared her experience over the last three years, as she worked to establish herself as a literary translator. The story is both excellent and inspiring!

Lise likewise hosted me on her blog yesterday. If you would like to read my post on Life as a Literary Translator, please do check it out on her site. Oh, and be sure to have a read through Lise’s other posts! They are not to be missed, particularly if you’re a French translator.

Image by Mam'zelle Kaelle

My first steps as a literary translator
A guest post by Lise Capitan

The bad beginning

As everyone who is new to something, I started by making mistakes. When I settled as a freelance translator, in 2009, I sent out some resumes & e-mails to the publishing houses I admired.

The thing is, I sent them the documents as if they were translation agencies. Very general letters, no published translated fiction on my resume… Unsurprisingly, I did not get a lot of feedback.

The chance

One day though, I was lucky enough to be in direct contact with the publishing house in charge of the French edition of Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine (among other things), les Moutons électriques. They told me they were looking for translators to handle contemporary F & SF short stories.

I did not hesitate and accepted immediately. I began with a short story by the Australian author Terry Dowling. I translated a short story that was part of his Rynosseros universe, set in a poetic science-fiction context, quite similar to Cordwainer Smith’s.

I exchanged e-mails with the editor and he was satisfied with my work — well, enough to entrust me with other short stories. So I went on to discover the iconoclast writer of The Steampunk Trilogy, Paul di Filippo, the sensitive style of Alexandra Duncan, and most recently, I worked on Alex Irvine’s high fantasy short stories.

The great thing about translating short stories is that it’s usually around 10,000 words, so it was rather easy to squeeze in my schedule (sometimes very full of video games). And, it gave me the opportunity to discover several authors in a short time frame, which is a wonderful thing.

The hard work

In the meantime, a Twitter connection forwarded me a post by Irish author David Gaughran (Lisa commented on it too). So I contacted him to be on his list of adventurous translators.

Then in October, the French Kindle store opened. It was a perfect moment for David Gaughran to have his top-rated self-publishing guide translated into French. So I jumped in. The contract was rather different from what is done in trade publishing, but I was very excited and could afford to try this new thing.

There, I understood the real difference between a short story and a book-length translation. But, I also discovered the great satisfaction of having typed the very last of several thousands of words. The book is now being edited and will certainly be published quite soon (looking forward to it).

The future

So finally, in spite of a bad beginning, I have to say, the sky looks brighter right now, three years after I started.

What’s next, then? Well, Les moutons électriques offered me a full book to translate, a Victorian novel on which I’m starting just now.

And, now that I have finally built some experience, I will be able to create a nice portfolio to approach other great publishing houses, hopefully getting other contracts for the future.

I’m not there yet, but what I learnt in these three years is this: patience and hard work are your best weapons to try and succeed in this field. Also, if you see a project that looks really tempting to you and you have the financial ability to venture into new grounds, listen to your heart and just do it!

About the author

Lise Capitan translates from English and Spanish into French & writes in French. She mainly works on video games & speculative fiction.

After graduating in translation & writing in Paris, she started to work for the video game industry. Since 2009, she has been freelancing and decided to use the freedom of this status to try & direct her career towards literary translation.

Blog: http://www.lisecapitan.com/blog/ (Mostly in French, but with some English posts too)

Twitter: https://fr.twitter.com/#!/LiseCapitan

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002354110731

This comment actually took me aback. I didn’t have a ready-made answer, had to give it some serious thought. Indeed, what did lead me to choose this career? Why do I think it’s a worthy task? What makes me want to remain in this profession for as long as I can?

In essence:

* I have been a traveller, writer and reader all my life. Literary translation involves all of these and thus feels like a comfortable cocoon, a place that is truly me.

* Being a literary translator allows me to open the door at least a smidgen, allowing others to enter a different world.

* International literature can bring us closer as people. It provides an opportunity to see that, while there may be outside differences, the core of the human experience remains the same.

* Literary translation is a space that allows for great creativity within certain constraints. Quite honestly, the blank page can scare me when it comes to writing fiction. But in this profession, the story is written, the characters determined; I simply get to bring them to life in another language.

There is more, of course that makes me so passionate about the work that I do, but I don’t want to spoil the whole introduction to my ebook! More importantly, I now want to hear from you…

What made you choose the career you did?

1. Read. Finally, you can read for pleasure without worrying that your translation may be “infected” by another voice. You’ve likely got a stack of books you want to get to, so dive in. Some of those may actually be new works in your source language and it’s important to keep up with the industry, not to mention find the next book you want to translate.

2. Network. Now that you have more time, you can actively pursue future opportunities. Reach out to former editors, let them know you’re currently available; pursue authors you admire; connect with other writers, translators and editors on LinkedIn.

3. Learn. This is the perfect time to brush up on writing skills, editing practices, anything at all that will help you in your career — or simply something you like to do but don’t always have time for!

4. Blog. This time in between contract is the perfect time to write all the posts you might have drafted or simply jotted down as ideas. It’s a good time to offer guest posts to other writers, too, in order to build community.

5. Write. With less on your plate, there’s time to tend to your own writing projects. Every minute spent writing in whatever genre is well spent.

6. Prepare sample translations. Undoubtedly, there are other works you’re interested in translating… Well, this is the perfect time to work on a sample translation to try and find a publisher.

7. Plan the book release. It can often be several months — or even a year — between when you deliver the translation to the publisher and when it is released. But since most of the marketing that promotes not just the book and the author, but you as the translator, is up to you, it’s never too early to start thinking about how you will promote this new work.

8. Update resumes, profiles and websites. Now that the translation has been delivered to the editor, you can add the book to your professional profile as “forthcoming”.

9. Reconnect. If you’re anything like me, you were likely completely consumed by this latest project and may have let some of your personal relationships slide. Now is a good time to get back to your exercise regime, go for coffee with a friend, have that date night.

10. Rest. Do give yourself some time to rest without feeling guilty. Literary translation is intense work; your brain quite likely needs a little down time. Give it that so you can give your all to the next book.

What else do you do in between projects?

Hi Lisa,

I came across your website from another translator who gave me the link. I, too, translate from Spanish to English, and I am intrigued by your website and by literary translations in general.

Can I find published works and translate them for my sample translations? If I can’t, or that isn’t ethical, what samples can I use?

Also, I recently contacted many Spanish publishing companies to no avail. What is the best way to approach them, and how can I get them to “give me a chance”?

Sincerely,

Katie

~~~~~

Katie,

In terms of translating published works as samples, yes, you can do that, but you *cannot* then submit those for publication anywhere without first establishing who owns the copyright and whether the rights are available for your language.

It is, however, excellent practice, for your own edification.

If you want to use the samples you translate, then start with something that has a chance. I suggest you read literary magazines in Spanish, find a story or essay you like, write the author and get permission to translate it. That way you can then try to get your translation published. If it’s a work that has already been published in English or the rights have been optioned or are just hard to determine, your translation sample can’t go very far.

As for the contact you’ve had with Spanish publishers, I’m afraid that’s also par for the course with publishers… Unless you have a specific contact person, it’s hard to get a reply.

You’re also going to need to get some publishing credits first. Start by trying to publish a translation in a literary magazine — there are more and more of them. Build up a portfolio before reaching out to the big fish.

Also, if you want to translate into English and hope to work directly with a publisher, then you’re going to look at who’s buying translations of published works (English publishers) rather than who’s selling them (Spanish publishers).

Does this help? Any follow-up questions? Do let me know.

Frances Peck is an editor and writer who has worked with words for over 20 years. She prepared the Canadian edition of The St. Martin’s Workbook, a grammar exercise book; co-authored the popular HyperGrammar website; wrote Peck’s English Pointers, an e-book (with quizzes) available on the Language Portal of Canada; and writes a column for the journal Language Update. A partner with West Coast Editorial Associates, Frances lives in Vancouver and teaches editing at Douglas College and Simon Fraser University.

Frances is known across Canada for her workshops. A magnificent presenter who clearly knows her grammar and editing, it was no wonder that most of the dozen or so participants were not first-time attendees. I can guarantee you I’ll be there for any other courses Frances offers!

In this particular workshop, we looked at three areas that affect style:

Consistency – avoiding needless shifts and improving parallelism

Flow – creating seamless transitions and emphasizing through subordination

Conciseness – zapping redundant words, shrinking wordy constructions, minimizing passive voice and expletives, weeding out weak verbs and using fewer nouns

Here are just a few of the tips I made particular note of to apply to my own translation and writing:

1. Watch for changes in tense over a paragraph or a span of prose. These shifts are easy to notice in a single sentence, but it’s important to review the entire document to make sure I am consistent throughout. This is particularly true in business-type translations from Spanish, where shifting tense is quite common.

2. Whenever possible, opt for active over passive sentences. This is an old truism as far as English goes, and I try to keep it in mind in my own writing. It is, however, something I have to watch out for since Spanish is much more prone to passive constructions. I’ve certainly been known to let it slip in to my translations more than is necessary.

3. Choose vocabulary appropriate to the style or tone of your piece. In translation, we often refer to how vocabulary can affect the “register” of a piece: formal, informal, slang, and so on. I find this is particularly important to keep in mind when translating dialogue in literary translation.

4. Be aware of your own writing style. I was nodding my head when Frances confessed that she is prone to long sentences in her first draft. Yup. Me too. Again, this may be an influence from the Spanish where long sentences are the norm. Whatever the case, I am paying more and more attention to the structure of my writing as I revise. My aim is to have a majority of medium-length sentences, with variations that are either longer or shorter.

5. Recognize the elements that lead to flow and use them. As Frances pointed out, flow is not some magical, innate ability that writers possess. All of us can achieve flow by effectively using things like parallel structures, transitional words and phrases.

6. Give your words more power and importance by eliminating those that are extraneous. This is likely the best reason of all to trim those redundant words and structures. I must admit that this one of my favorite aspects of editing, really paring down the language to make sure it achieves its full impact.

Any thoughts on these tips? Any others regarding consistency, flow or conciseness that you consistently apply? Do share in a comment!

Woman with the Five Elephants

I saw this documentary at a special screening during Translate in the Catskills last August. It is about Svetlana Geier, a woman whose name you may not have ever heard of, but whose voice you might know if you ever read Dostoyevsky in German. (The “five elephants” are Dostoyevsky’s tomes: Crime and Punishment,The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov, The Devils, and The Raw Youth.)

The film offers the most intimate look at Svetlana’s personal and professional life. In her eighties, we see her preparing family dinners, mourning the loss of her son, we learn of her childhood and her father’s imprisonment by Stalin, her work as interpreter for the for the Nazis. We watch Svetlana write translations out by hand, have them read and reviewed by her longtime friend, she adamantly making a case for her word choices.

Svetlana is hunched with age but independent, with determination and verve in her eyes. Svetlana embodies, I think, what many of us literary translators envisage our lives to be as we age: still working with passion until the end of our days. Indeed, not long after the documentary was made, Svetlana Geier died at the age of 87.

Sitting in the small local theatre, surrounded by other translators who share my dedication to this art, I felt enormously proud to be a literary translator, hopeful that I can do even a smidge of what Svetlana Geier did for world literature.

If you would like more information on this marvellous documentary, check out:

* This New York Times review.

* An interview with the filmmaker, Vadim Jendreyko.

* NPR’s review.

Have you seen the movie? What did you think? Do you know of other films about translators?

I have a novel to reread, a translation sample of it to prepare, not to mention an ebook to revise, but my mind jumps to the million little things to be done in the house.

Chaos does that to me. I need to be challenged, yes. I need deadlines and a busy schedule to get my best work done. But if too much is going on, if my desk is too messy (or, um, if I can’t even find my desk in the stacks of furniture!), then my brain feels similarly cluttered.

Organization is therefore a priority. With a clean space in this, our new house, our first house, with sun shining in the huge new windows that my incredible, handy partner Jon just installed, I will find the serenity I need to be creative.

Does a certain amount of chaos work for or against you?