Translating into sales

25.10.11 | Jonathan Heawood

What's the point of literary translation? For too long, publishers and booksellers have fought shy of literature in translation, fearing that readers are put off by books with foreign-sounding authors. In the culmination of a two-year project, English PEN and Free Word have published Taking Flight, a report that sets out the 10 outstanding values of literary translation. There are even economic benefits to literary translation: it can build new markets for literature, inspire new authors and stimulate a culture of language learning that will enable Britain to compete globally. Most importantly, literary translation brings readers the most exciting writing in the world today. No one's going to argue with that.

Our research has shown that readers don't have a problem with literary translation. In fact, they love books in translation when they are guided to them by trusted booksellers and librarians. The monumental success of Stieg Larsson has enabled booksellers to introduce their customers to a wealth of Scandinavian crime writing. The breakthrough sales achieved by The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery has allowed Gallic Books not only to continue publishing French writing in translation, but also to open a new bookshop, Belgravia Books, where the most successful titles are—wait for it—in translation.

At this year's International Translation Day, held at the Free Word Centre on 30th September, literary professionals gathered to celebrate successful new initiatives. Sarah Ardizzone spoke about “Translation Nation”, a scheme for taking translators into schools across London to inspire the next generation of translators from among the capital's thousands of bilingual children. Ros Schwartz described a successful new approach to mentoring new translators, which gives them the support they need to produce outstanding translations. Rachel Van Riel excited the audience with a range of schemes introduced by “Opening the Book” which put readers together with literature from around the world. And at English PEN we outlined the major new translation fund we will be launching with support from Arts Council England next April.

We closed the day with a remarkable presentation by the conductor and broadcaster Charles Hazlewood. Leaping across the stage from CD player to piano, he showed how J S Bach and The Prodigy are linked by only six degrees of separation. He even managed to persuade 100 literature professionals to lift their voices in a traditional English folk song. Delegates left discussing ways in which Hazlewood's infectious enthusiasm could be adopted in the literary sector, where we have been slow to shout about the values of our wares. This year's International Translation Day and the Taking Flight report show that we are already en route to a new and more confident approach to literary translation. By continuing to forge links between agents, publishers, booksellers and translators, these initiatives could become an important part of the resurgence of the bookselling sector in the years ahead.

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