It's Lit in Translation

Evelyn Heis (@amuchneededbreak)

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.

Episodes

  1. Antonella Lettieri on literary translation, inventing the Duke's grammar, and the responsibility of translating a story

    JAN 30

    Antonella Lettieri on literary translation, inventing the Duke's grammar, and the responsibility of translating a story

    Welcome to It's Lit in Translation. The podcast that champions literature in translation and the people who make it possible. In our first episode, Italian translator Antonella Lettieri joins the pod to discuss her journey into literary translation. Guiding us through her path from commercial to literary translation, while explaining how to pitch yourself, Lettieri dives into her experience and offers invaluable advice for emerging translators. We discussed her translation of Matteo Melchiorre's epic novel, The Duke, in great depth, as well as her translation of Maria Grazia Calendrone's memoir, Your Little Matter. We spoke about her fascination with language from an early age, the sense of responsibility in translating non-fiction compared to a novel, and the importance of believing in one's work. Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 01:12 - Antonella's introduction 01:54 - Childhood fascination with language 03:51 - Transitioning from commercial to literary translation 11:08 - Translating from Italian into English 16:28 - On producing translations 23:34 - The Duke 28:22 - Challenges in translation 33:15 - Working with Melchiorre 37:44 - The Duke summary and analysis 47:40 - How does literary translation work? 52:53 - Translation process for Your Little Matter 54:08 - Your Little Matter summary 01:01:47 - Which translated fiction novel would you highly recommend to listeners? 01:04:01 - Advice for literary translators - Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/el-depravo/tarnished-rose Photo Credit: Megan Taylor

    1h 9m

About

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.