Translation: Making a Whole Culture Intelligible? June 20, 2009

with Independent Foreign Fiction Prize-winning translators Anne McLean, Anthea Bell, Daniel Hahn and Frank Wynne

Anthony Burgess insisted that 'translation is not a matter of words only'. Umberto Eco has said that 'translation is the art of failure'. So, what do translators hope to achieve? What are the practical aspects of the job, and the principles behind it? The panellists will address the status and perception of international literature in the UK today, how appropriate it is for monolingual reviewers to comment on translated work, whether re-translating 'classics' differs from 'front list' translation and how to go about translating a book originally written in Arabic from, say, French. Finally, is there any hope for the future when only 3 per cent of books published in English are translations?

All tickets £8 per event, available online or by calling +44 (0)20 7209 1141.

Concessions: £5, for LRB subscribers, Friends of the British Museum, students and OAPs (concessions available from the Bookshop or by phone only).

Supported by:

* The British Museum
* Arts Council England
* The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize

Official Website: http://www.lrbshop.co.uk/product.php?productid=5564