Translations and Tumbles

Excuse the late update: there were a few sore heads being nursed in the office this morning in the aftermath of last night’s Rossica Prize announcement.  I’ve also lumbered myself with a very sore knee, having managed, rather embarrassingly, to fall over spectacularly on my way home.  It was my shoes!  Honestly!  I hardly even touched the champagne!  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it…

Here’s hoping that Joanne Turnbull’s evening ended more happily as her translation of Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky’s 7 Stories won the prize.  I haven’t actually read the book, but after hearing the praise lavished upon it last night I may well mosey over to Russian Press and pick up a copy.

 Jostling with the pâté canapés for the position of highlight of the evening were the acceptance speeches.  It was lovely to see evidence of translators and publishers working so closely together, and the relationship between Joanne Turnbull and Natasha Perova has evidently provided the perfect nurturing environment for an award-winning book, so congrats all round. 

 Congrats also to Robert Chandler, who was commended by the judges for his services in bringing Russian literature to an English audience; we’d humbly ask to share a little of that glory, as he has produced some wonderful translations for us, with more in the pipeline.

 And finally, a round of applause please for our very own Hugh Aplin.  Although The Death of Ivan Ilyich didn’t win the prize, Hugh deserves special mention for having been shortlisted for both this and the 2005 Rossica Prize, and also for being personally responsible for a large proportion of the competition’s submissions.  A more churlish correspondent might interject that such an impressive corpus of work may suggest that the gift of a Russian-English dictionary was somewhat superfluous to requirements, but I’ve got my lips firmly sealed…

 Peter France’s speech threw up some very interesting questions about approaches to literary translation, about which I fear there is no prospect of my saying anything sensible now, but it’s a subject to which I will return next week.

 Over and out,

 ER

PS.  Am I going mad?  Was anyone else completely oblivious to the fact that post prices apparently changed in April of this year?  Have just received a phone call from those oh-so-helpful and articulate souls at Royal Mail, informing me that the mail out of several hundreds of catalogues that I dispatched yesterday will be returned to me in order that I can add ONE PENCE to each of their franked values.  I love my life.  At least it’s a long weekend.

[I must add a little here, if you'll allow me Ellie?

Canapés: Quite good - poor service (mitigating circumstance allowed here - Russians present (I can say this...)) unfortunately detracted from really very good salmon and foie gras nibbles. Initial champagne drought pointed out in typically subtle manner and picked up on in admirable fashion for rest of evening.

On a slightly more contentious note, and to pick up on the mention above of the fact that we submitted more works than any other publisher: I noticed this in the Rossica publication marking the awards...  'Several of the translators were established professionals, one being responsible for as many as 5 separate entires (it might be desirable in future to place a limit on the number of translations to be submitted by any one translator).' Said individual is Hugh, who is not a professional translator, but a professional teacher. I know. He taught me. 29 titles were submitted for the prize, of which SEVEN were produced by us. For an institution which ostensibly promotes the translation and dissemination of Russian literature in the Big Wide World, is this really the approach which should be taken? Just because Hugh happens to be a damned good translator?! Who, despite the day job, has produced more works than the professionals?!!! 'Diplomacy' it would appear, is not a Russian word. I am surprised to learn that 'ingrate' is.

KA, Off to Chelsea, Dontcha Know]