The Bristol Translates 2023 keynote event was focused on translators as activists. Distinguished translators Daniel Hahn OBE and Sarah Ardizzone discussed how even very small initiatives can transform the translation landscape, and how we can nurture an interconnected community where new ideas can take hold.
They were joined by Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, who co-founded Cassava Republic, based in Abuja and London, to ‘change the way the world thinks about African writing’, and Layla Mohamed, assistant editor at Cassava.
In their initial survey of definitions of ‘activism,’ Hahn stressed that change often happens simply as a result of someone’s attention being drawn to facts they had so far overlooked. “You point out that translation is a little more complex, but also that everybody can do at least some of it,” he explained with reference to the Spectacular Translation Machine, a crowd translation project that has seen over a dozen iterations worldwide.
“Translation can be a conduit to making people value their own language a bit more, and it’s always a collaborative process,” said Ardizzone. “As Ros Schwartz so pithily puts it, you are not alone!”
Hahn and Ardizzone then embarked on a tour d’horizon of the world of translation, one that is “a much better place than it was even ten years ago.” They highlighted the work of large organisations, including PEN, the Emerging Translators Network, the Translators Association and ALTA, its counterpart in the United States. These are complemented by the work of cultural institutes, literary festivals and library initiatives, including GLLI.
Eamples of translator-led initiatives cited include Women in Translation Month, Translators Aloud, the new Black Translators Network and campaigns such as #namethetranslator and #translatorsonthecover.
A number of specialist publications are dedicated to translation, notably World Kid Lit, Paper Republic, Words Without Borders, Asymptote, and others. Publishing houses started by translators include Tilted Axis, And Other Stories, Héloïse Press, and others.
Hahn and Ardizzone also pointed out the increasing number of prizes and mentorships as well as translator residencies. Educational initiatives include Translation Nation, Translators in Schools and the Big Translate.
Bibi Bakare-Yusuf and Layla Mohamed of Cassava Republic discussed some of the ways in which African and European perspectives on translation differ. “For many Africans, what matters is whether it’s a good story or not, regardless of whether it’s a translation,” said Bakare-Yusuf. Mohamed highlighted the important role of personal and professional networks in promoting a title. They pointed to the great success of Men Don’t Cry as an example of translation finding a large audience, which prompted Bristol Translates academic lead Christophe Fricker, in his closing statement, to encourage attendees to celebrate translation also by buying one book of translated literature “right now.”
An audience of nearly 250 attended the event, which took place at the end of the first day of Bristol Translates literary translation summer school. The summer school continues with four more days of workshops and panel discussions.