The Art of Translation

Forrest Gander, Christina MacSweeney, Megan McDowell, Achy Obejas, Nathan Scott McNamara

To translate an author’s work—staying faithful to their vision, style, and message, in a language not their own—is to assume an awesome responsibility: one that hasn’t always gotten its just due as an art form. Four of today’s most noteworthy and acclaimed translators of Latin American contemporary literature will shed light on the origins, rewards, pitfalls, and complexities of their discipline. Christina MacSweeney, a recipient of the Valle Inclan prize, has translated the works of leading Spanish-language authors including Valeria Luiselli, Jazmina Barrera, and Elvira Navarro. Megan McDowell, who received the English PEN award and whose works in translation have been nominated four times for the International Booker Prize, has translated many of the most important Latin American authors working today, including Samanta Schweblin, Alejandro Zambra, and Mariana Enriquez. Havana-born translator Achy Obejas, who has worked with Wendy Guerra, Rita Indiana, Junot Díaz, and Megan Maxwell, is also the author of a recent collection of poetry written in a mostly gender-free Spanish and English. And Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Forrest Gander, also a renowned translator, will share insights from his distinguished career. Find out why translation is a journey of never-ending discovery, creativity, and lessons in cross-cultural sensitivity and communication.Sponsored by the Center for the Art of Translation.