It’s International Translation Day, a global day of celebrating “the work of language professionals.” We’ve been excited to celebrate National Translation Month this month, and this is a perfect way to close out September. International Translation Month is a time to shine a light on the wonderful translators who have helped us and our authors bring global literature to even more readers.
Rachel Hildebrant Reynolds is the translator behind Max Annas’ thrillers The Wall and The Farm, which use the thriller genre to shed light on current issues in South Africa. Max talked a bit about working with Rachel and what it was like to see his work in another language in our Q&A with him, “From the first line, it was me being stunned that the book became something that is living in another language.” You can read more about Rachel, her work, and why reading translated work is so important in this Q&A.
Elsa Silke is the translator for Chanette Paul’s thriller/family drama Sacrificed. In our Q&A with Elsa, she talked about how she approached translating Sacrificed, “I worked very closely with Chanette. She wanted a specific style and tone – in her own words: direct, tongue-in-cheek, snappy. I tried to accept and incorporate her ideas and suggestions as far as possible. The final product was very much a collaboration between translator and author.” You can read our full conversation here.
Martin Steyn is the author and translator of the thriller Dark Traces. In our Q&A with Martin, he talks about both why it was important to publish his novel in Afrikaans, and why he was excited to have English-language readers, as well, “Before Deon Meyer no one really wrote serious crime fiction in Afrikaans. In recent years, a number of quality crime writers arrived on the scene and Afrikaans readers are increasingly embracing them, obviously enjoying reading well-written crime novels in their own language set in their own country.” And as for English-language readers, what does he hope they get from his books? “Hopefully more than a few Afrikaans swear words. I’m happy whenever someone feels their time between my pages has been well spent.” Read our full Q&A here.
And finally, we’re excited to welcome another translator to our roster, Ivanka Hahnenberger. Ivanka is a Franco-American citizen who has led an international career in business management, finance, film, television and digital production. She has translated Blue is the Warmest Colour by Julie Maroh and An Olympic Dream by Reinhard Kleist, amongst other books. She is the translator for our upcoming release Madame Livingstone, a graphic novel by Christophe Cassiau-Haurie and illustrated by Congolese artist Barly Baruti. Madame Livingstone is a story set against the backdrop of World War I and tells the story of two vastly different men who are tasked with a nearly impossible mission: sinking a German battleship in the Congo. It’s set for release in June 2021, so stay tuned for more info!
