Cathy Hirano: Translation is a door to another world
Translator Cathy Hirano balances her time between freelance translations and young adult literature, and has earned accolades for both. Although her most recognized translations are for lifestyle guru Marie Kondo’s wildly popular works, starting with “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” Hirano’s translations have ...
Stephen Snyder: Distilling the essence of a literary work
In recent years, Japanese literature has earned a reputation abroad for its edgy, socially-conscious fiction, which translator Stephen Snyder, 63, has had a hand in encouraging. Snyder has translated titles like “Coin Locker Babies” by Ryu Murakami, “Out” by Natsuo Kirino and last year’s ...
Jeffrey Angles: Being a translator is an honor and a responsibility
Not only is Jeffrey Angles an award-winning translator of contemporary Japanese works, he’s also an award-winning Japanese poet. In 2017, the American writer received the Yomiuri Prize for Literature for his collection of poems written in Japanese, "Watashi no hizukehenkosen" (“My International Date Line”), ...
Michael Emmerich: Wisely navigating the levels of translation
The UCLA professor and professional translator says there is a distinct pleasure in developing work in prose styles that are not his own.
Polly Barton: A heart set on literary translation
The Bristol-based translator balances art-related texts with literary translation and has just finished her first original work, “Fifty Sounds.”
The Babel fish stick When overseas, trying to speak an unfamiliar language can be a difficult and stressful task, especially if you're on a vacation and there isn't enough time to learn useful phrases before heading out. Logbar has a solution that sounds like science ...
Sayuri Suzuki: Showbiz interpreter who works with witches and Dalmatians
Translator reveals the strangest request she's ever been asked in her career.
Irrepressible Irishman promotes Japan culture
Humor may be the hardest genre to translate, but laughter speaks any language. Poet and literary translator Peter MacMillan's recent foray into visual art, "Thirty-Six New Views of Mount Fuji," delights with wry whimsicality, employing mixed-media print-making to reveal a multicultural drollery. It's exactly the ...
