By Eric Dickens

I don't agree at all with Clive Keeble. I admire his detective work, but bookselling and translating are different professions. I am a published literary translator, and have just signed a contract with Dedalus to translate a book of 25 Estonian short-stories. Nowhere in Britain will they even publish literary material from that language, owing to the philistine climate in that country regarding any contemporary literature, or modern classics, from most European countries (barring a few Scandinavian crime novels). So, I would prefer to see Dedalus sink under the weight of legal costs, rather than think that they would sit idly and pathetically waiting for ACE to give them the chop. I imagine that Dedalus and advisers will be weighing up the pro's and cons of legal action. Funding is, by definition, buckshee. But as I never fail to say, where I can, I find it obscene that literary translation, a profession that requires years of practice and experience, is being sabotaged. While, at the same time, charlatans such as Damien Hurst (diamond-studded skull), Tracey Emin (unmade bed) and Mark Wallinger (bear suit walks) are lavished with huge sums of private and public money. Books from Europe and beyond are far more valuable than most of what Tate Modern and similar institutions show to the public today. I wish Dedalus good luck. Over 650 people have signed the petition. That may even persuade ACE to back down before the case even gets as far as the courts.

09 Jan 08 12:36

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By Eric Dickens

I do not quite see whence the ire involved in Clive Keeble's comment to mine. If he were to look through his stock, I imagine he would find very few translations from the last 20 years. This is because the "bully boys and spoilt brats" that actually translate novels, as opposed to sell them, are progressively marginalised in the UK. Thank goodness that the States exists! Otherwise translators into English would be regarded as weird. Selling second-hand books is to be applauded. I wish Mr Keeble would, with as much magnanimity, understand that what we do. When European literature becomes normal in Britain, I will be happy. You cannot surely think that European authors are all odd, while all British, American and Australian authors, whose books you sell, are more normal. I fail to understand the strange, knee-jerk xenophobia when it comes to Europe. A little confrontation does the introverted world of BritLit a world of good. The world is bigger than what once was the British Empire, with its one dominant language. Britain has moved on: the Britsih Empire is dead. But Brits still cling to the misapprehension that things written in English are automatically best, because the sun used never to set on British literature.

10 Jan 08 01:26

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By Eric Dickens

The petition to save Dedalus has already attracted some 830 signatures, mostly from Britain, but also from around the world. While it is always easier to sign a petition than to put money or legal aid where your mouth is, this climate of opinion may indeed persuade the Arts Council, rather than Dedalus, to seek a settlement out of court. The Arts Council of England (ACE) has not been playing very fair recently, if I am rightly informed. ACE appears to have recently removed the text entitled "Procedural Guidance - Disinvestment from regularly funded organisations" from its website. It was gone for a couple of days. If you used the search engine, the word "disinvestment" gave one hit, but when you looked, it was not there. That is not really what I call cricket. I sent a complaint about this to Antonia Byatt and others, and to my great satisfaction, a copy of this rather long-winded, but crucial, text is again available on the ACE website for all to read. This text (which I have a copy of) is about five A4 pages long, if you print it out in ten-point type. I have not checked what is now again available against the text I was sent by one individual, but I imagine that ACE is honest enough not to have changed it during the couple of days it was out of public view. When you click on the underlined word "timeframe", you do, however, get a very short title with no text, so no explanation there. Look for yourselves. The paragraph in which this mysterious word "timeframe" is embedded reads: "Organisations who currently receive regular funding have been made aware that decisions on funding for 2008-11 have operated on a slightly shorter timeframe than that recommended in the document. This is as a result of the timing of the Arts Council's own settlement from government. The process for 2008-11 is fully in line with our disinvestment policy and is based on the principles outlined in it." ACE appears to be shifting the blame onto the Government. Finally, I've heard of legal persons, but I did think that an organisation was a "which" rather than a "who".

10 Jan 08 14:25

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By Chrisr Hamilton-Emery

It's a tremendous pity that instead of signing a petition against funding cuts each signatory instead would subscribe to buy a single copy of each and every Dedalus book for the next year, this would guarantee its financial security and avoid the need for any confrontation. The best way to support a publisher is to buy its books.

15 Jan 08 11:15

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