It's Lit in Translation

Evelyn Heis (@amuchneededbreak)
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Welcome to It’s Lit in Translation, the podcast celebrating literature in translation and the people who make it possible. Each episode features an interview with translators from around the world about the books they bring into English, the creative choices behind their work, and what it truly means to carry a story from one language to another.

  1. 9 juil.

    Pablo Strauss on eco-horror, migration, and bringing Quebecian literature into English

    Welcome to It’s Lit in Translation: the podcast that champions literature in translation and the people who make it possible. In today’s episode, literary translator Pablo Strauss joins the pod to discuss his translation of Horsefly by Mireille Gagné: an unsettling eco-horror novel that blends speculative fiction, historical narrative, and environmental anxiety into a wholly original reading experience. Published by New Cross Press in 2026, this marks the first title for their indie press. Pablo takes us through his journey into literary translation, reflecting on how a lifelong curiosity about languages and cultures eventually led him to Quebec, where an immersion in French literature paved the way for his career as a translator. We discuss the patience and persistence required to establish a career in literary translation, as well as the creativity and collaboration that underpin every stage of this process. We dive into his translation of Horsefly, exploring the novel's three interwoven timelines and its haunting exploration of climate change, memory, disease, and humanity's fragile relationship with the natural world. Pablo shares the fascinating challenge of translating the perspective of a horsefly, balancing an unfamiliar non-human voice with a tone that remains unsettling, lyrical, and believable for English-language readers. Together, we discuss the practical and creative decisions involved in translating a novel so deeply rooted in Quebec, from navigating regional expressions and cultural references to recreating the landscapes and atmosphere that shape the story. Pablo also reflects on the collaborative nature of literary translation, discussing the invaluable role editors and authors play in refining a translation and bringing a book to its fullest potential. It is absolutely fascinating to hear Pablo discuss translation as a process of curiosity, experimentation, and close attention, as well as the unique challenges of bringing an ambitious work of eco-horror across languages for a new readership. — You can purchase a copy of Horsefly by Mireille Gagné, translated from French by Pablo Strauss, here: https://newcrosspress.com/books/horsefly // https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation-podcast — Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/ Photo Credit: Pablo Strauss

    Pablo Strauss on eco-horror, migration, and bringing Quebecian literature into English

  2. 29 juin

    Sophie Hughes on literary translation, rediscovering her passion for reading, and judging the 2026 International Booker Prize

    Welcome to It’s Lit in Translation: the podcast that champions literature in translation and the people who make it possible. In today’s episode, literary translator Sophie Hughes joins the pod to discuss her journey into translation, the craft of bringing literature across languages, and her experience serving as a judge for the 2026 International Booker Prize. Sophie takes us through her path into literary translation, reflecting on her early fascination with language and the profound influence of writers such as Samuel Beckett. We discuss her studies in comparative literature and translation, her early experiences working in publishing, and the serendipitous opportunity that eventually led her to translate her first book from Spanish. We dive into Sophie’s translation process, exploring the careful balance between fidelity and creativity that lies at the heart of literary translation. Sharing insights into her working methods, Sophie discusses the importance of reading a text multiple times, creating exploratory drafts, and collaborating closely with authors to capture not only the meaning of a work but also its rhythm, tone, and emotional texture. We discuss her translation of Vincenzo Latronico's Perfection, marking her debut Italian-language translation. Together, we discuss Sophie’s experience as a judge for the International Booker Prize and the transformative impact it had on her reading life. From reading more than 100 books in 6 months to discovering authors and genres she might otherwise never have encountered, Sophie reflects on how the process broadened her horizons and renewed her enthusiasm for reading new literatures. We also explored the changing role of translators within publishing, the growing visibility of translated literature, and why fiction from around the world continues to resonate so strongly with English-language readers. It is absolutely fascinating to hear Sophie discuss translation as both a practice of close reading and an act of creative writing, as well as the many ways literature allows us to encounter perspectives beyond our own. - You can purchase a copy of Vincenzo Latronico's Perfection and Fernanda Melchor's Hurricane Season, translated by Sophie Hughes, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation - Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/el-depravo/tarnished-rose Photo Credit: Sophie Hughes

    Sophie Hughes on literary translation, rediscovering her passion for reading, and judging the 2026 International Booker Prize

  3. 17 juin

    Kat Storace on photography, memory, and translating Before the Rocket

    Welcome to It’s Lit in Translation: the podcast that champions literature in translation and the people who make it possible. In today’s episode, Maltese editor and literary translator Kat Storace joins the pod to discuss her translation of Loranne Vella's Before The Rocket. Kat also dives into her work of bringing Maltese literature to English-language readers as the co-founder of Praspar Press. Kat takes us through her journey into literary translation, reflecting on the unexpected path that led her into the field and the mentorship that helped shape her career. We discuss the co-founding of Praspar Press and the importance of creating space for Maltese literature within the English-speaking publishing world, as well as the opportunities and challenges involved in representing a literary culture that remains largely undertranslated. We dive into her translation of Before the Rocket, a genre-defying novel set in Malta in 2064 that blends speculative fiction with dystopian storytelling. Kat shares her experience of translating a work deeply concerned with photography, memory, and time, discussing the challenge of rendering vivid photographic descriptions for readers despite the absence of any actual images within the text. Together, we explore the novel’s themes of climate change, colonialism, community resilience, and the relationship between images and storytelling. We also discuss the practical and creative decisions involved in translating Maltese literature into English, from preserving culturally specific language and place names to balancing accessibility with a strong sense of the novel’s Maltese identity. It is absolutely fascinating to hear Kat discuss the role translation plays in expanding access to underrepresented literary traditions, as well as the many considerations involved in bringing a distinctly Maltese story to an international readership. — You can purchase a copy of Before The Rocket by Loranne Vella, translated by Kat Storace, here: https://www.praspar.com/product/before-the-rocket — Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/ Photo Credit: KT Bruce

    Kat Storace on photography, memory, and translating Before the Rocket

  4. 13 mai

    Ross Benjamin on fascism, film, and being shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize

    Welcome to It’s Lit in Translation: the podcast that champions literature in translation and the people who make it possible. This year, in collaboration with the International Booker Prize, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing the shortlisted panel of translators ahead of this year’s Prize announcement. In today’s episode, award-winning translator of German literature Ross Benjamin joins the pod to discuss his translation of The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize. Ross takes us through his journey into literary translation, reflecting on his early encounters with translated literature through Grimm’s fairy tales, Bible stories, and French poetry, before eventually developing a deep connection to German language and literature. We discuss how translation became, for him, an extension of reading itself: a form of intense attentiveness that shaped both his literary sensibilities and his craft as a writer. We dive into his translation of Daniel Kehlmann's The Director, a historical novel centred on Austrian film director G.W. Pabst during the rise of the Nazi regime. Ross shares the challenges of translating a work that moves so deftly between horror, satire, absurdity, and psychological tension, discussing the importance of preserving the novel’s tonal volatility without over-amplifying or flattening its effects. We also explore the novel’s cinematic quality, the role of silence and hesitation in dialogue, and the moral questions surrounding complicity, artistic integrity, and self-deception under authoritarianism. Together, we discuss the delicate process of translating humour and historical voice, including Ross’s fascinating approach to the character Rupert Worcester, whose voice draws on the world of P.G. Wodehouse. Ross also reflects on the extensive research involved in the translation process, from watching archival footage and films to recreating the atmosphere of 1930s Europe for contemporary readers. It is absolutely fascinating to hear Ross discuss translation as a craft of calibration, revision, and close listening, as well as the role translated literature plays in preserving cultural difference and expanding the possibilities of reading beyond borders. - You can purchase a copy of The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Ross Benjamin, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation - Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/el-depravo/tarnished-rose Photo Credit: David Schloss

    Ross Benjamin on fascism, film, and being shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize

  5. 10 mai

    Padma Viswanathan on translating to build community and being shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize

    Welcome to It’s Lit in Translation: the podcast that champions literature in translation and the people who make it possible. This year, in collaboration with the International Booker Prize, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing the shortlisted panel of translators ahead of this year’s Prize announcement. In today’s episode, Canadian-American writer and literary translator Padma Viswanathan joins the pod to discuss her translation of On Earth as It Is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia, shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize. Padma takes us through her journey into literary translation, reflecting on her early exposure to translation through the Bhagavad Gita and the role language and literature have played throughout her life. We discuss how her interest in Brazil, through music and the Portuguese language, gradually evolved into a translation practice, as well as the many experiences that shaped her approach to language, close reading, and storytelling. We dive into her translation of On Earth as It Is Beneath, discussing the challenge of capturing the swiftness, atmosphere, and intensity of Ana Paula Maia’s prose while preserving the novel’s striking visual and emotional force. Padma shares her thoughtful translation philosophy, including her decision to avoid footnotes in favour of maintaining the reader’s immersion, and reflects on the delicate balance between cultural specificity and readability in translated literature. Together, we explore the novel’s themes of violence, morality, confinement, religion, and power, unpacking the symbolic connections between the penal colony and the former enslaved plantation at the centre of the text. We also discuss the humour and humanity that run throughout the novel, and the importance of allowing readers to fully inhabit the world of the book without interruption. It is absolutely fascinating to hear Padma discuss translation as both a craft and an art form, as well as the attentiveness, confidence, and care required to bring a literary work into another language. - You can purchase a copy of On Earth As It Is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia, translated by Padma Viswanathan, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation - Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/el-depravo/tarnished-rose Photo Credit: Alex Tram

    Padma Viswanathan on translating to build community and being shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize

  6. 9 mai

    Lin King on colonialism, food as politics, and being shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize

    Welcome to It's Lit in Translation. The podcast that champions literature in translation and the people who make it possible. This year, in collaboration with the International Booker Prize, I've had the privilege of interviewing the shortlisted panel of translators ahead of the Prize announcement. In today's episode, writer and literary translator from Taiwan, Lin King, joins the pod to discuss her translation of the IBP-shortlisted novel, Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ. Based between Taipei and New York, Lin takes us through her journey into literary translation, reflecting on growing up between languages, discovering literature through translation, and the path that eventually led her to champion Taiwanese voices in the Anglophone world. We dive into the layered complexities of translating Taiwan Travelogue, discussing the challenge of preserving historical specificity, cultural nuance, and the novel’s rich culinary vocabulary while making the text accessible to English-language readers. Lin shares her thoughtful approach to footnotes, the importance of retaining the texture of Taiwanese history within the novel, and the many considerations involved in translating a work so deeply rooted in language, colonialism, and memory. Together, we explore the novel’s themes of tourism, empire, food, and power, unpacking the uneasy dynamics between cultural appreciation and appropriation that emerge throughout the text. We also discuss the book’s queer undercurrents, the symbolism of travel and infrastructure, and the role fiction can play in fostering empathy and transcending borders. It is absolutely fascinating to hear Lin discuss her translation process and to learn about the many steps that took place for us to access this novel in English. - You can purchase a copy of Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ (published by And Other Stories) and translated by Lin King from Mandarin, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation - Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/el-depravo/tarnished-rose Photo Credit: Annette An-Jen Liu

    Lin King on colonialism, food as politics, and being shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize

  7. 6 mai

    Izidora Angel on translation as migration, art birthing more art, and being shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize

    Welcome to It's Lit in Translation. The podcast that champions literature in translation and the people who make it possible. This year, in collaboration with the International Booker Prize, I've had the privilege of interviewing the shortlisted panel of translators ahead of the Prize announcement. In today's episode, writer and literary translator from Bulgarian, Izidora Angel, joins the pod to discuss her translation of the IBP-shortlisted novel, She Who Remains by Rene Karabash. Taking us through her early life as a Bulgarian immigrant living in the United States, Izidora shares about her upbringing in between two cultures and languages. Later on, this straddling between the two is what would lead her to pursue translation, bringing over Bulgarian literature into English in a similar journey of migration. We dive into her translation of the IBP-shortlisted She Who Remains, which is a compelling and hallucinogenic stream-of-consciousness novel about the ways female autonomy is hindered under patriarchy. Izidora described her process of reading and translating this novel as a very physically reactive one, in which She Who Remains creates a universe for you to experience and ask yourself questions about lies/truths, woman/man, good/bad, and who dictates these quandaries. Given that this is a novel about gender transformations, it was extremely fascinating to hear about the challenges involved with the original, given that Bulgarian is a very gendered language, and about the creative liberties Izidora undertook to capture the same captivating effect in English. We also spoke about Izidora's own writing and her involvement with Third Coast Translators Collective: an international community of literary translators in Chicago, and about the benefits of community. It is absolutely fascinating to hear Izidora discuss her translation process and to learn about the many steps that took place for us to access this novel in English. - You can purchase a copy of She Who Remains by Rene Karabash (published by Peirene Press) and translated by Izidora Angel from Bulgarian, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation You can read an excerpt from Izidora Angel's upcoming memoir, Solomon's Daughter, here: https://theamericanscholar.org/banana-yellow-trabants/ - Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/el-depravo/tarnished-rose Photo Credit: Izidora Angel

    Izidora Angel on translation as migration, art birthing more art, and being shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize

  8. 4 mai

    Jordan Stump on wandering through languages, the magic of time, and being shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize

    Welcome to It's Lit in Translation. The podcast that champions literature in translation and the people who make it possible. This year, in collaboration with the International Booker Prize, I've had the privilege of interviewing the shortlisted panel of translators ahead of the Prize announcement. In today's episode, prolific and award-winning literary translator from French, Jordan Stump, joins the pod to discuss his translation of the IBP-shortlisted novel, The Witch by Marie Ndiaye. A professor of French at the University of Nebraska, Jordan takes us through his journey into literary translation: one that came merely by accident. We learn about his love for the French language and literature from a very early age, and how teaching Marie Ndiaye's work led him to pursue his translation of her latest seven works. We dive into his translation of IBP-shortlisted, The Witch, and how he had to become creative with the language to mimic the 'dreamlike' and 'uncanny' tone from the original, as well as some crow-shaped Easter eggs that later inform the plot. Sharing his in-depth process of producing his translation, we discussed some of the challenges he faced, particularly with bringing over the novel's cultural contexts and the history of French literary traditions that inform Marie's work that English readers might be less familiar with. It is absolutely fascinating to hear Jordan discuss his translation process and to learn about the many steps that took place for us to access this novel in English. - You can purchase a copy of The Witch by Marie Ndiaye (published by Quercus Books) and translated by Jordan Stump from French, here: https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/it-s-lit-in-translation - Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/el-depravo/tarnished-rose Photo Credit: Jordan Stump

    Jordan Stump on wandering through languages, the magic of time, and being shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize
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À propos

Welcome to It’s Lit in Translation, the podcast celebrating literature in translation and the people who make it possible. Each episode features an interview with translators from around the world about the books they bring into English, the creative choices behind their work, and what it truly means to carry a story from one language to another.

Informations

  • Création
    Evelyn Heis (@amuchneededbreak)
  • Années d’activité
    2026
  • Épisodes
    13
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © Evelyn Heis (@amuchneededbreak)
  • Site web de l’émission
    It's Lit in Translation

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