Welcome to It's Lit in Translation. The podcast that champions literature in translation and the people who make it possible.

In today's episode, we were joined by Ian Giles, the prolific translator who has brought over 40 Scandinavian titles into English. Guiding us through his experiences translating commercial fiction to the 2023 August Prize winner, Bloody Awful in Different Ways, he shares his valuable insight into what different texts require of him as a translator.

We discussed his translation of Andrev Walden's Bloody Awful in Different Ways, delving into the challenges of translating a text that says a lot in not many words. Ian also takes us through his process translating non-fiction and autofictional works into English, and about the responsibility one assumes when embarking on a project where fact is almost always stranger than fiction.

As Ian mentions, you can get a copy of Bloody Awful in Different Ways for the low low price of £9.99. Get yours today.

Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction

01:10 - Ian's introduction

04:29 - Ian's first encounter with translation

07:48 - Ian's journey as a translator

11:37 - On developing a voice as a translator

15:16 - How Ian's translations have evolved

19:21 - Bloody Awful in Different Ways summary

20:20 - Translating Bloody Awful in Different Ways

30:42 - On tone and humour

34:45 - On childhood and child narrators

38:05 - Talking characters

41:57 - On translating non-fiction and biographies

49:50 - Involving the author in the translation process

55:30 - The 'Bloody Awful in Different Ways' Title

1:00:44 - Which characters were the most fun to work with?

1:05:00 - Translators and their magic hands

1:08:42 - On keeping multiple languages active

1:15:00 - Aspirational future projects

1:20:00 - Advice for aspiring literary translators

-

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/el-depravo/tarnished-rose

Photo Credit: Camila França.