HMH Literature in Translation

How to Promote Writers in Translation

So, what can we translators do to promote our own work? For conventionally published books, it’s important to get involved and be an active participant in marketing. A translator can write something for the key facts sheet that publishers send out with review copies. We are, after all, the expert on the book, the author and the culture it represents, at least as far as the publishing house is concerned. If there’s to be a launch event, get involved with it. Make use of social media, but don’t only self-promote. Get into conversations, share other people’s work, talk to related bloggers.

Çapuling in Istanbul: Elif Batuman takes a break from her novel to report (updated with her photo from the park) | The Book Haven

The Man Booker International prize finalists speak

Ahead of next week’s award for the best international fiction, we’ve spoken to all 10 contenders for the £60,000 prize. Read the first five interviews now.

Interviews with five of the ten finalists. 

On Translating Murakami

Asked what problems he encounters in translating names in Japanese kanji characters, Gabriel acknowledged that it is “a difficult aspect of the translation.”

“Sometimes we have to include a bit more explanation than is in the original,” Gabriel said. “I have not made a final decision yet on how I will handle these names.”

When he has questions for Murakami, Gabriel said: “Usually, I save up my questions to the end. Since he himself is a translator, though, he understands the difficulties and challenges of translation very well, and is always quite helpful in answering my questions.”