Literary translation and cross-cultural exchange—two themes at the heart of the Bologna Fair—were the focus of several panels at this year’s BCBF, one of which took place on Monday, March 31. “Being a Writer Who Translates and a Translator Who Writes” was moderated by Yuliia Kozlovets, director of the International Book Arsenal Festival in Kyiv, Ukraine, which organized the event. The featured speakers were Lawrence Schimel, author and bi-directional translator of English and Spanish; Kateryna Mikhalitsyna, Ukrainian author, translator, and poet; and Edward van de Vendel, Hans Christian Andersen Award and Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award-nominated author, translator, and teacher in the Netherlands. The group discussed their work as authors and translators, and the ways in which their dual roles inform and complement one another.
Schimel, who grew up speaking Spanish in his native New York and now lives in Spain, shared how having his work translated for the first time informed his own approach to translation. “I think of myself as a reader rather than an author or translator. My feeling is that you always have to recreate the reading experience,” he said, adding that he learned to let go and take liberties when needed to preserve the author’s style and sensibility.
He noted that one of the major obstacles in working with U.S. publishers and editors is that often they don’t speak another language aside from English and can be wary of the translation process. Schimel pointed out the irony of so many classic children’s books not being recognized as translations by American readers, from The Little Prince to Pippi Longstocking. “We live in a global world,” he said, “and the gatekeepers need to catch up. Kids themselves don’t have prejudices in reading, as long as there’s a good story.” When publishers and others express concern about what is lost in translation, Schimel reminds them that “the true loss is not translating.”
The conversation never strayed far from world politics. In additional to her literary work, Mikhalitsyna volunteers with kids in occupied Ukraine. Reflecting on Russia’s war on Ukraine, and the increasingly isolationist and antagonistic role of the United States, “which is supposed to be our ally,” Mikhalitsyna said, “It’s good to be here and to think about translation and authorship.”
She highlighted the parallels between poetry and translation, and her love of “getting deep into the text. I was caught by the language, the magic—how much your work as a writer is enriched by translation. I wanted to share that experience with the reader.” Of her role as an editor publishing books in translation, she said, “It’s a great responsibility. It’s important to be respectful and attentive.”
Words Without Borders
Befitting a conversation about translation—the act of carrying meaning across linguistic borders—the panelists drew from multiple metaphors to describe their work. Van de Vendel, who came to the profession through writing, recalled the words of his first translator: “I am your German tongue.” For Mikhalitsyna, “a translator is a bit of a gardener, bringing a sapling or plant from one culture to into another.” She and Kozlovets, both of whom live in Ukraine, also noted the capacity for the literary bridges constructed by translation to become real-life bridges, especially in times of global tension.
While the panelists agreed that translators should be acknowledged by publishers, Van de Vendel advised his peers not to draw too much attention to themselves and their craft in the text itself. “I don’t want to present myself as smarter than the author. Don’t lose the directness of the language for a child,” he said. “If translators are the bridge to the book, children should see us as the front door.” Mikhalitsyna also said that accessibility is crucial in translating for young readers. “Only when I give space to my inner child can the translation succeed.”
Mikhalitsyna stressed the universal experience of translation. “All human lives are translated. We are born speechless and without language, dependent on [our caregivers] for correct interpretation.” Kozlovets noted that the 13th International Book Arsenal Festival in Kyiv, scheduled for May 29–June 1, will speak to this theme, with the slogan “Everything Is Translation.”
Schimel insisted that AI can never replicate the nuanced work of human translators. “Humor is one of the things a computer cannot do,” he said. “It also can’t translate poetry. These are things we can excel at as translators.”
Van de Vendel concluded with a plea for solidarity among European publishers and translators. “In these times when Europe is being abandoned [politically] by the United States, we have to turn more to European culture. I hope we will unite.”
Echoing the power of literature to build bridges between cultures and nations, Mikhalitsyna said, “The more we have translations between languages, the more we can build a whole. We need that.”
