It's Lit in Translation

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, Dutch-to-English literary translator David joins the pod to discuss his translations of Anjet Daanje's The Remembered Soldier and The Song of Stork and Dromedary: two masterfully crafted novels about memory, storytelling, and legacy.

David takes us through his early encounters with translated literature; we discuss his background in poetry and constrained writing, exploring the parallels between writing within formal limitations and the constraints of translation. We also chat about his approach to literary translation, the importance of collaboration and research, and how working closely with authors, editors and fellow translators can positively shape the process.

We dive into The Remembered Soldier, a haunting novel set in a psychiatric asylum in post-First World War Belgium, exploring memory, identity and the question of who we are when we can no longer remember our own past. David shares the challenges of translating its distinctive, propulsive style, as well as the extensive historical research that went into bringing its photography, weaponry and wartime setting into English.

We then turn to The Song of Stork and Dromedary, a sprawling, Gothic novel inspired by the Brontë sisters, which spans across time and space. David discusses his experience in translating various styles and registers across the novel's eleven chapters, his thorough research into the Brontës and visit to Haworth, and the challenge of recreating Emily and Charlotte Brontë’s voices without simply imitating them.

Finally, we discuss the importance of institutional support for literary translation, the international reception of Anjet's work, and the role that translators, authors, editors and readers can play in bringing literature across languages and cultures.

This is a fascinating conversation about translation as craft, research and collaboration, and about the many ways a novel can travel across language, time and place.

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You can purchase The Remembered Soldier and The Song of Stork and Dromedary by Anjet Daanje, translated from Dutch by David McKay, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation-podcast

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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):⁠https://uppbeat.io/⁠

Photo Credit: David McKay

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, literary translator Ecre Karadag joins the pod to discuss her debut translation, Mari the Unwonderful Witch by Asako Yuzuki, and the joys of bringing Japanese children’s literature into English.

Ecre takes us through her winding path from linguistics and academia to working in Tokyo’s fashion industry, before eventually finding her way back to books and literary translation.

We discuss the role that childhood reading and creative writing have played in her translation practice, and the importance of finding the right book and the right voice as a translator. I, for one, can't wait to read Ecre's own fiction one day!

We dive into Mari the Unwonderful Witch, a middle-grade fantasy about an 11 year old witch who refuses to conform to expectations of what a “wonderful” witch should be. Ecre shares how she approached the book’s distinctive voices, playful world-building and celebration of individuality in Asako's first children's novel and her role as a 'moonlight' or 'starlight' translator working on the manuscript. She also shares some of the challenges of translating age-coded speech and Japanese kinship terms, as well as the importance of voice in bringing the characters to life in English.

We also discuss the state of translated children’s literature in the UK, and why Ecre believes Japanese children’s fiction offers an exciting opportunity to expand the kinds of translated books available to young readers.

Finally, Ecre introduces her “Diva Manifesto”, an advocacy project exploring translators’ professional and artistic agency, from fair pay and contracts to the expectation that translators should remain quiet and invisible.

This was a lively conversation about children’s literature, the creative possibilities of translation, and the importance of making space for translators to be recognised as artists in their own right.

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You can purchase a copy of Mari the Unwonderful Witch by Asako Yuzuki, translated from Japanese by Ecre Karadag, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation-podcast

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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
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Photo Credit: Ecre Karadag

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, award-winning literary translator and professor Daniel Bowles joins the pod to discuss his translation of Christian Kracht’s latest novel, Air.

Daniel takes us through his journey into literary translation, from discovering German as a teenager to finding his way into the profession through academic and literary translation. We discuss what drew him to the craft, the puzzle-like satisfaction of finding the right words, and the importance of building a community of fellow translators.

We dive into his translation of Air, exploring Kracht’s strange and atmospheric novel and the challenge of preserving its deliberately hazy, dreamlike quality in English. Daniel shares how he approached the novel’s multiple narrative voices, the subtle differences in language between its characters, and some of the fascinating linguistic problems that arise when translating between German and English.

We also discuss the importance of tone and rhythm in translation, why Daniel reads his work aloud during the revision process, and how linguistic features that cannot always be recreated in the same place in the source text can sometimes find their way into the translation elsewhere.

Finally, Daniel reflects on his long-standing collaboration with Christian Kracht, including their unusual practice of sitting together and reading through translations, as well as the importance of revision and finding a supportive community of translators.

It is a fascinating conversation about the craft of translation, the importance of tone and voice, and the many small decisions that go into bringing an intricately constructed novel like Air into English.

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You can purchase Air and Eurotrash by Christian Kracht, translated from German by Daniel Bowles, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation-podcast

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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
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Photo Credit: Daniel Bowles

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, Guaraní translator and linguistic activist Iliana Franco Alvarenga joins the pod to discuss the Guaraní language, Paraguayan Spanish, and the complexities of translating between languages shaped by colonial histories.

Iliana takes us through her relationship with Guaraní and her journey into translation, exploring the history of the language and the concept of linguistic pain, the generational trauma created when children are punished for speaking their mother tongue, and how this history can continue to influence the way families perceive their own languages and efforts towards language revitalisation.

Together, we also explore the relationship between language and power, from the influence of institutions such as the Royal Spanish Academy to the role of artificial intelligence in determining which varieties of language are represented and prioritised. We discuss the politics behind linguistic standardisation and what happens when one variety of a language becomes treated as the default.

The conversation also turns towards the ethics of literary translation, including the question of whether translators should reconsider language in older works when the social meaning of certain words has changed. We discuss the responsibility translators have towards their readers, authors, and the communities whose languages and cultures they are bringing into another linguistic context.

Iliana also reflects on the invisibility of translators, sharing a particularly powerful moment from a book fair where she instinctively stepped behind the author she was translating, only for the author to take her hand and bring her forward. We explore what this reveals about the position translators have historically occupied within publishing, and the importance of recognising them as equal creative collaborators.

Finally, Iliana shares her advice for aspiring translators, from learning to move away from the literal word to embracing rejection and accepting that every translation will inevitably contain something that only the translator notices.

This is a fascinating conversation about language, power, colonialism, and the role translation can play in both preserving and challenging the ways we understand different cultures and their histories.

I also loved learning more about how Guaraní operates as a language, and chatting through different examples of Guaraní cosmoperceptions that have traditionally been reduced on the page, and therefore have been lost, in translation. Iliana's approach to translating an indigenous language that exists beyond the page and working between the two worlds she inhabits is incredibly fascinating.

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You can purchase a copy of We Are Green and Trembling by Gabriela Cabezon Camara, translated from Spanish by Robin Myers, which features Iliana's Guaraní translations, here: ⁠https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation-podcast⁠

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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):⁠https://uppbeat.io/⁠

Photo Credit: Iliana Franco Alvarenga

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, Bulgarian novelist Joanna Elmy and International Booker Prize-winning translator Angela Rodel join the pod to discuss Born of Guilt, Joanna’s debut novel, and the fascinating collaborative process behind bringing it into English.

Joanna reflects on the origins of Born of Guilt, a multigenerational novel following three Bulgarian women as they navigate domestic violence, addiction, immigration, and the lasting impact of post-communist Bulgaria.

We discuss how the novel grew from a single competition entry into an internationally published debut, and why it seeks to explore experiences that have often remained absent from the Bulgarian literary canon.

We also dive into the unique process of co-translation, with Joanna and Angela sharing how they divided the novel between the different generations of narrators in order to best preserve each woman's distinctive voice. Together, they discuss the creative negotiations involved in translating dialect, register, and culturally specific language, from retaining uniquely Bulgarian words such as loza to subtly embedding historical context for English-language readers without interrupting the narrative.

Together, we explore the novel's wider themes of inherited trauma, family, identity, and migration, as well as the myriad ways readers from across Europe have connected with its portrayal of life on the margins of the continent.

Joanna and Angela also reflect on the evolving visibility of literary translators, share their favourite book and must-read Bulgarian book recommendations, and discuss why reading widely remains one of the most important foundations of the craft.

It is absolutely fascinating to hear Joanna and Angela discuss the relationship between author and translator: learning how trust, collaboration, and paying close attention to voice shape every stage of bringing a novel into another language.

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You can purchase a copy of Born of Guilt by Joanna Elmy, translated from Bulgarian by Joanna Elmy and Angela Rodel, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation-podcast

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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
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Photo Credit: Joanna Elmy and Angela Rodel

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, literary translators Julia Sanches and Heather Cleary join the pod to discuss their co-translation of Medea Sang Me a Corrido by Dalia de la Cerda, a powerful short story collection that explores gendered violence, resistance, and solidarity in contemporary Mexico.

Julia and Heather take us through their respective journeys into literary translation, reflecting on the books, languages, and experiences that first drew them to the craft. We discuss the many unexpected paths into translation, from undergraduate research projects to multilingual upbringings, and how both of their careers evolved through a shared passion for literature across languages.

We dive into their collaborative translation process, exploring the unique dynamics of co-translation and the creative possibilities that emerge when two translators work in conversation with one another. Julia and Heather share how they divided stories, revised each other's work, and navigated difficult translation decisions together, revealing how some of the book's most memorable moments were born through collaboration. (All roads go back to poodle)

Together, we discuss the importance of preserving cultural specificity in translation, from retaining culturally embedded language to researching folklore, mythology, corridos, and contemporary Mexican popular culture. Julia and Heather reflect on the careful balance between accessibility and authenticity, explaining why leaving certain words untranslated is not only a stylistic decision but also part of the book's political and cultural project.

We also explore Dalia de la Cerda's urgent and uncompromising writing, discussing the collection's engagement with violence against women, systemic inequality, and the networks of solidarity that offer hope amidst despair.

Finally, Julia and Heather share their advice for emerging literary translators, speaking candidly about the realities of the profession, the importance of community, and why collaboration and transparency remain at the heart of literary translation.

It is absolutely fascinating to hear Julia and Heather discuss translation as a collective act of care, curiosity, and creativity, and to gain a deeper understanding of the many conversations and decisions involved in bringing a politically charged work across languages.

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You can purchase a copy of Medea Sang Me a Corrido by Dalia de la Cerda, translated from Spanish by Julia Sanches and Heather Cleary, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation-podcast?&new-list-page=true&bkshp-astro=t

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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
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Photo Credit: Julia Sanches and Heather Cleary

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, literary translator Pablo Strauss joins the pod to discuss his translation of Horsefly by Mireille Gagné: an unsettling eco-horror novel that blends speculative fiction, historical narrative, and environmental anxiety into a wholly original reading experience.

Published by New Cross Press in 2026, this marks the first title for their indie press.

Pablo takes us through his journey into literary translation, reflecting on how a lifelong curiosity about languages and cultures eventually led him to Quebec, where an immersion in French literature paved the way for his career as a translator. We discuss the patience and persistence required to establish a career in literary translation, as well as the creativity and collaboration that underpin every stage of this process.

We dive into his translation of Horsefly, exploring the novel's three interwoven timelines and its haunting exploration of climate change, memory, disease, and humanity's fragile relationship with the natural world. Pablo shares the fascinating challenge of translating the perspective of a horsefly, balancing an unfamiliar non-human voice with a tone that remains unsettling, lyrical, and believable for English-language readers.

Together, we discuss the practical and creative decisions involved in translating a novel so deeply rooted in Quebec, from navigating regional expressions and cultural references to recreating the landscapes and atmosphere that shape the story. Pablo also reflects on the collaborative nature of literary translation, discussing the invaluable role editors and authors play in refining a translation and bringing a book to its fullest potential.

It is absolutely fascinating to hear Pablo discuss translation as a process of curiosity, experimentation, and close attention, as well as the unique challenges of bringing an ambitious work of eco-horror across languages for a new readership.

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You can purchase a copy of Horsefly by Mireille Gagné, translated from French by Pablo Strauss, here: https://newcrosspress.com/books/horsefly // https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation-podcast

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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
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Photo Credit: Pablo Strauss

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, literary translator Sophie Hughes joins the pod to discuss her journey into translation, the craft of bringing literature across languages, and her experience serving as a judge for the 2026 International Booker Prize.

Sophie takes us through her path into literary translation, reflecting on her early fascination with language and the profound influence of writers such as Samuel Beckett. We discuss her studies in comparative literature and translation, her early experiences working in publishing, and the serendipitous opportunity that eventually led her to translate her first book from Spanish.

We dive into Sophie’s translation process, exploring the careful balance between fidelity and creativity that lies at the heart of literary translation. Sharing insights into her working methods, Sophie discusses the importance of reading a text multiple times, creating exploratory drafts, and collaborating closely with authors to capture not only the meaning of a work but also its rhythm, tone, and emotional texture. We discuss her translation of Vincenzo Latronico's Perfection, marking her debut Italian-language translation.

Together, we discuss Sophie’s experience as a judge for the International Booker Prize and the transformative impact it had on her reading life. From reading more than 100 books in 6 months to discovering authors and genres she might otherwise never have encountered, Sophie reflects on how the process broadened her horizons and renewed her enthusiasm for reading new literatures.

We also explored the changing role of translators within publishing, the growing visibility of translated literature, and why fiction from around the world continues to resonate so strongly with English-language readers.

It is absolutely fascinating to hear Sophie discuss translation as both a practice of close reading and an act of creative writing, as well as the many ways literature allows us to encounter perspectives beyond our own.

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You can purchase a copy of Vincenzo Latronico's Perfection and Fernanda Melchor's Hurricane Season, translated by Sophie Hughes, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation

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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

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

Photo Credit: Sophie Hughes

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, Maltese editor and literary translator Kat Storace joins the pod to discuss her translation of Loranne Vella's Before The Rocket. Kat also dives into her work of bringing Maltese literature to English-language readers as the co-founder of Praspar Press.

Kat takes us through her journey into literary translation, reflecting on the unexpected path that led her into the field and the mentorship that helped shape her career. We discuss the co-founding of Praspar Press and the importance of creating space for Maltese literature within the English-speaking publishing world, as well as the opportunities and challenges involved in representing a literary culture that remains largely undertranslated.

We dive into her translation of Before the Rocket, a genre-defying novel set in Malta in 2064 that blends speculative fiction with dystopian storytelling. Kat shares her experience of translating a work deeply concerned with photography, memory, and time, discussing the challenge of rendering vivid photographic descriptions for readers despite the absence of any actual images within the text.

Together, we explore the novel’s themes of climate change, colonialism, community resilience, and the relationship between images and storytelling. We also discuss the practical and creative decisions involved in translating Maltese literature into English, from preserving culturally specific language and place names to balancing accessibility with a strong sense of the novel’s Maltese identity.

It is absolutely fascinating to hear Kat discuss the role translation plays in expanding access to underrepresented literary traditions, as well as the many considerations involved in bringing a distinctly Maltese story to an international readership.

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You can purchase a copy of Before The Rocket by Loranne Vella, translated by Kat Storace, here: https://www.praspar.com/product/before-the-rocket

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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
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Photo Credit: KT Bruce

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

This year, in collaboration with the International Booker Prize, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing the shortlisted panel of translators ahead of this year’s Prize announcement.

In today’s episode, award-winning translator of German literature Ross Benjamin joins the pod to discuss his translation of The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize.

Ross takes us through his journey into literary translation, reflecting on his early encounters with translated literature through Grimm’s fairy tales, Bible stories, and French poetry, before eventually developing a deep connection to German language and literature. We discuss how translation became, for him, an extension of reading itself: a form of intense attentiveness that shaped both his literary sensibilities and his craft as a writer.

We dive into his translation of Daniel Kehlmann's The Director, a historical novel centred on Austrian film director G.W. Pabst during the rise of the Nazi regime. Ross shares the challenges of translating a work that moves so deftly between horror, satire, absurdity, and psychological tension, discussing the importance of preserving the novel’s tonal volatility without over-amplifying or flattening its effects. We also explore the novel’s cinematic quality, the role of silence and hesitation in dialogue, and the moral questions surrounding complicity, artistic integrity, and self-deception under authoritarianism.

Together, we discuss the delicate process of translating humour and historical voice, including Ross’s fascinating approach to the character Rupert Worcester, whose voice draws on the world of P.G. Wodehouse. Ross also reflects on the extensive research involved in the translation process, from watching archival footage and films to recreating the atmosphere of 1930s Europe for contemporary readers.

It is absolutely fascinating to hear Ross discuss translation as a craft of calibration, revision, and close listening, as well as the role translated literature plays in preserving cultural difference and expanding the possibilities of reading beyond borders.

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You can purchase a copy of The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Ross Benjamin, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation

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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

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

Photo Credit: David Schloss