Translation can sometimes be a lonely endeavour, especially when you work for months on end on a long and difficult literary text. Input from peers as well as established translators may be needed to get your spirits up again and infuse your work with brilliant, new ideas.
Bristol Translates is an online summer school where language lovers work together exploring literary translation. This year’s event will take place from 3 to 7 July, comprising three days of workshops (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) from nine languages into English or, alternatively, in a multilingual group.
The other two days are filled with panel discussions and workshops on industry trends, job readiness and the opportunities available around different literary genres (fiction and non-fiction). These include sessions on
how to pitch to publishers,
how to approach literary journals and magazines,
how to negotiate contracts,
how to translate for the stage,
translator activism,
queer translation,
translation at war.
Bristol Translates offers a very extensive programme, and participants from previous years have lauded it as a launchpad of their careers.
The event is led by Ros Schwartz and Holly Langstaff. Tutors include well-known translators from nine languages into English, and the roll call of guest speakers and panellists is truly impressive.
Information on eligibility as well as the application form are available on the Bristol Translates website.
Applicants who apply before 28 February can also apply for a full bursary.
There is no formal application deadline – it is first come, first served, and workshops will fill up.
You need to follow the writers and poets you like, as well as your experienced colleagues and publishing houses. You need to collaborate and stop being afraid to show who you are and what you can do as a translator.
Translation requires great enthusiasm! You must love reading and deep-dive research, editing and re-editing for hours on end. But despite all this, translation is a great thing when you really enjoy it!
I am very keen on translating fiction and non-fiction as a part of the special project dubbed the Laboratory of Literary Translation here, in Almaty. We translate modern authors and make their brilliant works available to a wider readership.
The Laboratory of Literary Translation, supported by the U.S. Mission to Kazakhstan, is a project led by Yuriy Serebryanskiy, a Kazakhstani author, and Andrey Platonov, a translator. The project started in 2018 focusing on engaging enthusiasts willing to translate.
I was very lucky to see the open call on Facebook. To pass the selection you needed to translate a short excerpt from ‘What’s eating Gilbert Grape’, a novel by Peter Hedges which I did! A few weeks later I got an invitation! I was over the moon and joined the project!
Laboratory’s goal was to train amateurs, work in a team, and collaborate with authors. All this added up to a real book named ‘Nine Stories’, a collection of short stories by modern American writers. The book can be downloaded for free at https://litshkola.kz/9storieskz/.
Our group began with translating and editing two Christophers (what a coincidence!): Christopher Merkner and Christopher Merrill. We met with the authors both online and offline and it was such a great experience for me.
I am still part of the Laboratory of Literary Translation and from time to time we translate the pieces we like.
Today I would like to share some of my ideas on how to advance one’s career as a translator.
First of all, you need to meet the right people and experts and look for places and events where such people gather to discuss professional issues. Networking is important and social networks are a great support here too! I know it for sure as I kicked off this way.
You need to follow the writers and poets you like, as well as your experienced colleagues and publishing houses. You need to collaborate and stop being afraid to show who you are and what you can do as a translator. Stop hiding and let the others spot you!
You need to read a lot in foreign and native languages as reading helps to find the right words with exact emotional coloring and meaning. It expands your horizons! Reading both Russian and English books makes me more confident. Writing a diary is also great as you learn how to express your ideas in writing.
You need to practice. Participate in various projects, volunteer, and communicate with colleagues and editors. Learn to be persistent and patient and take comments as an opportunity to grow and not as a personal offense. You need to keep this in mind as only by getting reasonable comments and analyzing them one can grow as a translator.
I know what I am talking about. I was very defensive and took any criticism very personally. It took me time to understand that no one was perfect. When you think that they are and when you are afraid to make mistakes, it will not advance you at all.
Translation helped me to improve my communication, cooperation, and decision-making skills. It taught me how to defend a point of view too! So it’s definitely worth trying!
Anna Kozhanova graduated from the Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages, in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She majored in English language and literature. Tried translation for the first time as a student. In 2005 started as a translator and a consecutive interpreter in one of the largest audit companies. Expert in audit, legal, marketing, corporate translations. Translates fiction and non-fiction as a part of the Laboratory of Literary Translation established in 2018 in Almaty. One of the translators and editors of Nine Stories, a collection of short stories by modern American writers. Translated short stories by Christopher Merkner ‘Of pigs and children’ and ‘Local accident’ published in ‘Лиterraтура’online literary journal.
Recently I became a finalist of the Qalamdas Literary Award as a literary translator. After I published a fb post about this intermediate success, one lady asked me to translate her book and she sent me the manuscript. When I started reading, I understood, it was starving for an editor. There were general mistakes of a beginner writer: stereotyped phrases, general descriptions without explanation, etc. All these things have to be definitely improved before translation.
So the first challenge I see as a translator of literature from whatever country is to find a proper author who provides editing/proofreading of his/her manuscript.
The second challenge is to receive a legally authorized permit of an author for translation. This is quite a complicated issue so I prefer my client to deal with it.
The third challenge is to solve questions related to the text with an author upon completion of a translation. Once my co-translator and I finalized a text, proofread it, and reached out to the author to to discuss some topics to be sure that everything was done correctly but unfortunately the author never answered us. The text is still with us and we are still hoping for a good outcome.
The fourth challenge is to confirm the authority as a translator. In spite of my translation experience, I have never graduated from a language university. So I could never submit a respective diploma to confirm my knowledge. However, I consider myself to be a good translator.
There are some challenges specific for Kazakhstan:
· The Kazakhstani book publishing market is at its early stage of development. It does not provide proper promotion to authors. So they self-publish their books or address Russian publishing houses. They also look for translators abroad.
· There are not many professional translators in Kazakhstan. It happened due to the low level of expertise of graduated translators.
So in reply to the video, all challenges can be classified as world-wide and specific for a country. However, it is possible to overcome all of them if you find the right people at the right time in the right place.
What challenges I see as a translator of literature from Kazakhstan
Recently I became a finalist of the Qalamdas Literary Award as a literary translator. After I published a fb post about this intermediate success, one lady asked me to translate her book and she sent me the manuscript. When I started reading, I understood, it was starving for an editor. There were general mistakes of a beginner writer: stereotyped phrases, general descriptions without explanation, etc. All these things have to be definitely improved before translation.
So the first challenge I see as a translator of literature from whatever country is to find a proper author who provides editing/proofreading of his/her manuscript.
The second challenge is to receive a legally authorized permit of an author for translation. This is quite a complicated issue so I prefer my client to deal with it.
The third challenge is to solve questions related to the text with an author upon completion of a translation. Once my co-translator and I finalized a text, proofread it, and reached out to the author to to discuss some topics to be sure that everything was done correctly but unfortunately the author never answered us. The text is still with us and we are still hoping for a good outcome.
The fourth challenge is to confirm the authority as a translator. In spite of my translation experience, I have never graduated from a language university. So I could never submit a respective diploma to confirm my knowledge. However, I consider myself to be a good translator.
There are some challenges specific for Kazakhstan:
· The Kazakhstani book publishing market is at its early stage of development. It does not provide proper promotion to authors. So they self-publish their books or address Russian publishing houses. They also look for translators abroad.
· There are not many professional translators in Kazakhstan. It happened due to the low level of expertise of graduated translators.
So in reply to the video, all challenges can be classified as world-wide and specific for a country. However, it is possible to overcome all of them if you find the right people at the right time in the right place.
The Almaty writers’ residency AWR ‘22 invites Kazakh-English literary translators to a practical workshop led by Nina Murray. Participation in the workshop is free. The required level of English proficiency is C1.
The week-long translators’ workshop will be held at the same time as the 2022 Almaty writers’ residency. The leader of the workshop, Nina Murray, is a Ukrainian-American poet and translator.
The scarcity of high-quality translations of contemporary literature from Kazakhstan exacerbates the divide between the Russian- and Kazakh-speaking audiences as well as authors themselves. This challenge was a subject of many discussions during the 2021 Almaty Writers’ Residency. We will continue to address it this year, but we are also determined to take steps towards bridging another gap: the lack of professionals who can translate literature from Kazakh into English directly.
To participate, please follow the rules of the Opening Challenge here.
There is some amazing writing being produced in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries right now, and writers in the region are telling stories that we English-speakers won’t hear anywhere else.
We continue our coverage of the acquisition of Batu and the Search for the Golden Cup written by Zira Naurzbayeva (l.) and Lilya Kalaus (c.), and translated from Russian by Shelley Fairweather-Vega by Marilyn Brigham at Amazon Crossing Kids. Publishers Weekly describes the book as a “middle grade fantasy novel” that “weaves the unique mythology of Kazakhstan into a story of friendship and courage as a group of kids embarks on an adventure through both current-day Kazakhstan and a fantasy world.” Publication is slated for spring 2023.
Interview by Ksenia Rogozhnikova
KR: It is a pleasure to speak to you, Shelley! To begin, could you tell me more about yourself and how you became a translator. Where did you study Russian and what made you want to translate? Which authors do you translate?
Shelley Fairweather-Vega: I began studying Russian at university in the 1990s, with the goal of studying history and politics. But the more Russian language I learned, the more I wanted to delve into Russian film and literature. And the more of that I discovered, the more I wanted to share it with people who couldn’t read Russian… so I started translating. I also wanted to learn more about the particular cultures and politics of Central Asia, and started studying the Uzbek language in graduate school. With my background in political science, my first long-term translation job was in journalism. I’ve also translated lots of legal documents, business correspondence, marketing materials… but lately I’ve been concentrating on stories, novels, and poetry. My translation of Evgeny Vodolazkin’s coronavirus play was published in 2020, and I’m working on my third novel by the Uzbek writer in exile, Hamid Ismailov. I’ve also translated some lovely Russian-language books for children, a fascinating book by the Russian-Israeli neuroscientist Anna Sverdlik, a mystery thriller by Daria Desombre, a sci-fi comedy and fantasy stories by Olga Gromyko, and, most recently, lots of stories and poetry and a couple books from Kazakhstan.
KR: Was there a particular moment when you became interested in authors from Kazakhstan? You recently translated Olga Mark’s short story “The Lighter” to be included in an anthology of women’s writing from Kazakhstan, to be published by Gaudy Boy this year. Could you tell us more about that project, Amanat?
SFV: Yes, I’m thrilled that the Amanat anthology will be coming out this July! Olga Mark’s story, “The Lighter,” is one of my favorites in the collection. Her work is there alongside that of 12 other Kazakhstani women. One of them is Zaure Batayeva, who is the author (and I’d call her an activist) who first brought me into the Kazakh literary world. She and I worked together to translate stories by Zira Naurzbayeva, Aigul Kemelbayeva, and Zaure herself, which were published in the big American online journal Words Without Borders in 2018. That was such a good experience that Zaure and I decided to keep working together. Eventually, we ended up with the collection that is becoming Amanat. Along the way, I’ve published translations of work by some other authors in the anthology (Oral Arukenova, Lilya Kalaus) and translated books by Serikbol Qondybai and Talasbek Asemqulov, thanks to Zira Naurzbayeva, and, of course, I’m now working on Zira’s and Lilya’s book about Batu and his friends.
KR: For an author these days, it is an extremely fortunate (and uncommon) thing to meet a great translator who is interested in their stories or poems. How did you meet Lilya and Zira? Tell us more about how you began to work together.
SFV: Lilya and Zira decided to tell me about their children’s adventure story several years ago, when we had just started working together. At that time, there was only one Batu book in the series, and it only existed in Russian. They were both a little doubtful that English-language readers would find the story interesting, but I was optimistic. The characters are so engaging, there’s an exciting plot full of magic and folklore, and there’s a mystery to solve. Finally, late last year, I found an American publisher who agreed with me – Marilyn Brigham at AmazonCrossing Kids.
KR: I’ve often heard it said that a literary translator today also has to be their author’s agent. Have you found this to be true in your experience?
SFV: Yes, this is often true, and I’ve been doing this work for the authors I translate for several years now. In some parts of the world, every published author has a literary agent, and in that case, the agent can “sell” the book for translation. But that’s not the case in Central Asia. I’ve found publishers for four of my books in translation now, and am still looking for willing publishers for a few more.
Every translation of a poem or short story or essay I manage to have published in a journal also requires this “agenting” work. It’s a different type of labor. Rather than merely being a smart, careful, creative translator, which is difficult enough, you have to also spend time and energy on marketing, networking, researching the book industry….
The problem is that there’s no other way, right now, for publishers to discover good work from places like Kazakhstan. (Maybe blogs like The Alma Review can help!-Thank you! A. R.). They mostly rely on translators to teach them what is available. It’s a very slow process, and not always successful, but when I do find a good publisher for a good book, it’s the best feeling in the world.
KR: Do you find there’s a particular curiosity about literature from Central Asia, and specifically Kazakhstan, right now? In other words, it it worth anyone’s effort to translate writing from Kazakhstan into English? And – as long as it’s not a professional secret – could you share how you establish contacts with American publishers, and AmazonCrossing specifically?
SFV: Yes, I think the interest is growing. There are more translators working on Central Asian literature all the time, and we’re doing our best to demand attention from readers and publishers! Certainly, there is some amazing writing being produced in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries right now, and writers in the region are telling stories that we English-speakers won’t hear anywhere else.
When I approached Amazon Publishing about Batu and the Search for the Golden Cup, they had already published one novel from Kazakhstan: Rollan Seisenbayev’sThe Dead Wander In the Desert, translated by John Farndon and Olga Nakston. And I had worked with them before, when they commissioned a translation of Daria Desombre’s The Sin Collector. They turned Batu down at first because they weren’t publishing middle-grade books at the time. But that policy changed, and when I brought up Batu with Marilyn this autumn, she showed interest immediately.
KR: Have you started your work on the first book, In Search of the Golden Cup? Are there plans to translate and publish the other two books in the series?
SFV: Yes, Book 1 is about two-thirds translated at the moment, and the translation will be finished by early April. I hope that it will be a great hit in English and the publisher will want to continue with the rest of the books in the series. If they do, I’ll be ready to translate them. I find that the books that are the most fun to read are always a pleasure to translate, and that’s certainly true of this series.
KR: What advice would you give Kazakhstani authors who would like to have their work translated into English and other languages? How do they find translators?
SFV: I think the most important thing is to write the way you want to write. Don’t compose with a foreign audience in mind; just write honestly and authentically, in your own style, and tell your most compelling story. Then you have to do the hard work of getting published in your own language. If your poetry or your stories are being published and read in Kazakhstan, that makes them much more appealing to publishers elsewhere. Try to be on social media, attend writing events, meet other authors. As you meet authors, you’ll also meet translators, whether in real life or online.
Sadly, there are many more excellent writers in Kazakhstan than translators ready to work with them. I wish I could translate twice as fast as I do, so I could translate twice as many good books. But, as I mentioned, there are more translators interested in the region now than ever before. I believe that the perfect translator can always be found, with time. So my final piece of advice is: Don’t give up!
Photo: Shelley Fairweather-Vega
Shelley Fairweather-Vega is a professional translator of Russian and Uzbek in Seattle, Washington. She translates poetry, fiction, screenplays and more for authors around the world, with a special focus on the contemporary literature of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Fairweather-Vega holds degrees in International Relations and Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies. As a translator, she is most interested in the intersection of culture and politics in modern history. Her published projects and work in progress are at fairvega.com/translation.
The Alma Review 