LITERARY TRANSLATION FROM HEBREW INTO ENGLISH IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND, 1990-2010 a report prepared by by Dr Jasmine Donahaye with research assistant Michal Karas December 2011 Making Literature Travel series of reports on literary exchange, translation and publishing Series editor: Alexandra Büchler The report was prepared as part of the Euro-Mediterranean Translation Programme, a co-operation between the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures, Literature Across Frontiers and Transeuropéenes, and with support from the Culture Programme of the European Union. Literature Across Frontiers, Mercator Institute for Media, Languages and Culture, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 UK: England & Wales License Contents 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................. 4 1.1 Framework .......................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Method and scope ................................................................................................. 4 1.3 Findings ............................................................................................................. 5 1.3.1 Literary translation in the British Isles – the wider context ....................................... 5 1.3.2 Need for reliable data on published translations .................................................... 6 1.3.3 Need for comprehensive resource on translation matters in the United Kingdom and Ireland ......................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Translation of Hebrew literature in the British Isles: key findings ....................................... 6 1.4.1 Literature translated from Hebrew — history and recent developments ...................... 6 1.4.2 Publishing ..................................................................................................... 7 1.4.3 Dissemination and access: book trade, festivals and media ....................................... 8 1.4.4 Public and private support ................................................................................ 9 1.4.5 Translators and translations ............................................................................ 10 1.5 Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 11 1.5.1 Key issues and obstacles ................................................................................. 11 1.5.2 UK v. US pull of market .................................................................................. 11 1.5.3 Niche concerns ............................................................................................. 12 1.5.4 Cultural boycott ........................................................................................... 12 1.5.5 Translation challenges .................................................................................. 12 1.5.6 Publishing challenges ..................................................................................... 12 1.6 Recommendations ............................................................................................... 13 1.6.1 Filling gaps in resources ................................................................................. 13 Translator database ................................................................................................... 13 1.6.2 Acquiring in-depth information ........................................................................ 13 Publishers’ market expertise ........................................................................................ 13 1.6.3 Policy recommendations ................................................................................. 14 2 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 15 2.1 Historical overview .............................................................................................. 15 2.1.1 Cultural barriers and assets ............................................................................. 17 2.1.2 Understanding the status of Hebrew literature in translation .................................. 18 3 PUBLISHING ..................................................................................................... 20 3.1 Bibliography of published translations ....................................................................... 20 3.2 Publishers ......................................................................................................... 22 3.3 Profiles of publishers ........................................................................................... 24 3.3.1 Halban Publishers ......................................................................................... 24 3.3.2 Loki Books ................................................................................................... 25 3.3.3 Canongate ................................................................................................... 25 3.3.4 Chatto & Windus ........................................................................................... 26 3.3.5 Harvill Secker .............................................................................................. 26 3.3.6 Jonathan Cape ............................................................................................. 26 3.3.7 Vintage ....................................................................................................... 26 3.3.8 Bloomsbury ................................................................................................. 27 3.3.9 The Toby Press ............................................................................................. 27 3.4 Magazines, websites and blogs ................................................................................ 27 4 DISSEMINATION AND RECEPTION ................................................................................ 29 4.1 Dissemination and availability to readers ................................................................... 29 4.1.1 Booktrade information ................................................................................... 29 4.1.2 Literature at festivals .................................................................................... 30 4.2 Media and critical reception .................................................................................. 32 5 POLICY AND PUBLIC / PRIVATE SUPPORT FOR LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION ................................... 33 5.1 Public and private sector support from the UK and Ireland ............................................. 33 5.1.1 General overview.......................................................................................... 33 5.1.2 Support for translation from Hebrew ................................................................. 35 2 5.2 Public and private sector support for translation and dissemination of literature from the country of origin ................................................................................................................. 37 6 TRANSLATION ISSUES ........................................................................................... 38 6.1 Translators ........................................................................................................ 38 6.1.1 List of translators and (where known) affiliation .................................................. 38 6.2 Translator profiles ............................................................................................... 40 6.2.1 Nicholas de Lange ......................................................................................... 40 6.2.2 Sondra Silverston .......................................................................................... 44 6.3 Language and literary training opportunities .............................................................. 45 6.3.1 Modern Hebrew language provision ................................................................... 45 6.3.2 Hebrew and translation studies ........................................................................ 49 6.4 Mentoring opportunities ........................................................................................ 50 6.5 Translators’ conditions of work and translation quality monitoring ................................... 50 6.5.1 Quality assessment ........................................................................................ 50 6.5.2 Prizes......................................................................................................... 51 6.5.3 Professional association.................................................................................. 53 6.5.4 Rates of pay ................................................................................................ 53 7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................... 54 7.1 Summary of key issues, problems and obstacles ........................................................... 54 7.1.1 UK v. US pull of market .................................................................................. 54 7.1.2 Niche concerns ............................................................................................. 55 7.1.3 Cultural boycott ..........................................................................................