Lost and Found in Translation: Storytelling and the Untranslatable, by Michał Rusinek

Essay Photo by Eileen Pan / Unsplash “Instead of a totalizing interpretation,” writes the author, translators should seek a dialogical one. “We have to leave space,” he writes, “for a story, an anecdote, a metaphorical footnote.” We all spend a lot of time at airports. After having some coffee and browsing in shops that used to be duty-free, I always like to sit somewhere near a “Lost and Found” office. It is usually a quiet place. There is no one in, or there is someone bored, yawning. If you happen to lose your luggage and decide to report it to this person, he or she would look up and you would soon realize that there is no big difference between a “bored” and a “consoling” look. Anyway, I am sure that underneath these bored or sad looks there is something more. There are stories, tragedies, comedies, dialogues, misunderstandings. There is literature there. So, I would like you to treat this “Lost and Found” office as a key metaphor of this article. Two years ago I translated a picture book for children by Oliver Jeffers, called Lost and Found (HarperCollins, 2010). It is a story about friendship. There is a little boy who finds a penguin at his door. He assumes that the wordless penguin is lost. When he discovers that penguins come from the South Pole, he takes him there in a rowboat. He helps the penguin ashore and casts off. On his way back the boy realizes his mistake: he had considered the penguin lost, but he was... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'

[ World Literature Today | 2021-10-20 18:36:14 UTC ]
News tagged with: #generally speaking #picture book

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Lost and Found in Translation: Storytelling and the Untranslatable, by Michał Rusinek'


Online translation tools changing lives

You might use Google Translate to read a hard-to-find Manga comic book or to decipher an obscure recipe for authentic Polish blintzes. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2013-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Translated fiction boost on IMPAC shortlist

Half of the novels shortlisted for this year's International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #novels shortlisted


Bloomsbury offers app translation rights

Bloomsbury Children’s was selling translation rights in apps for the first time at this... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bloomsbury children


One Year of Translating, Selling Swedish Literature Direct

Stockholm Text, a young publishing house translating and publishing Swedish literature in English, share lessons learned from their first year in business. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stockholm text


Literary Asia on the Rise and Translators Are Key, Says Agent

As Asian authors come to prominence, the West should publish them, something that will be impossible without nurturing translators, says a Hong Kong literary agent Kelly Falconer. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #asian authors


Saving and Translating Timbuktu’s Ancient Libraries

A secret operation saved hundreds of thousands of Muslim manuscripts in Tumbuktu's ancient libraries from destruction by militants. Now they are being translated and published. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Books in Translation: It’s Time for Others to Join the Fight

The publishers of UK's Stork Books argue that major publishers and the media in the UK and USA underestimate the audience for translated books and are making a big mistake. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #major publishers #translated books


Does the West Dismiss Graphic Storytelling as Second Class?

It's rare in the West for graphic novels to win mainstream accolades and readership, but in Asia, it is the norm. In the US, isn't it time for that to change? Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #graphic novels


National Book Critics Circle Awards Shortlist Includes Just One Translation

Add to the growing list of prize shortlists the latest from the NBCC, which includes just a single translation: Lauren Binet's HHhH, translated by Sam Taylor. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #growing list #sam taylor


'Bleak' 2013 predicted as 300 libraries could be lost

  Library campaigners are forecasting a grim 2013, predicting that 300 libraries could... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #library campaigners


News Corp. Says Publishing Unit Lost Money

The media conglomerate, which plans to separate its entertainment businesses from its publishing businesses into two separate listed stocks next year, said the publishing company would have reported a net loss of $2.08 billion in the year through June 30 if it had been a stand-alone company. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2012-12-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media conglomerate #entertainment businesses #publishing businesses #net loss


650,000 Reasons to Translate Finnish Literature

Looking ahead to Finland's turn as Guest of Honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair, lit organization FILI is offering translation support to international publishers. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #international publishers


Google Play Books app arrives in Japan, adds translation, place info, highlighting and more

Not content at stopping with its recent European tour, Google Play Books has made the trip to Japan and brought back a handful of new features. In addition to support for reading Japanese books in a vertical, right-to left layout, Mountain view now lets users tap on names of geographical spots... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mountain view #larry page #digital books #source links #originally appeared


Taking Storytelling Digital

Eli Horowitz does not think of himself as someone who “fetishizes the book.” But he’s also seen what books become, in digital form, and has not always been impressed. A former managing editor and publisher at McSweeney’s, Horowitz describes much of what he has seen in the digital revolution in... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #eli horowitz #book publishing #print book #digital form #managing editor #digital revolution #major project


Blair plays down Rowling translation fears

J K Rowling's agent Neil Blair has played down reported concerns over the decision to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


PPA Conference: Tim Brooks on the new found optimism for professional publishers

Tim Brooks, the former managing director of Guardian News & Media, identifies a new sense of optimism setting into the publishing industry, after two years of concern amid sweeping change. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2012-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ppa conference #professional publishers #publishing industry


The Avengers, Comic Books and the Future of Storytelling

The Avengers may have racked up more than $200 million in box office receipts during its weekend opening, but the comic books on which the movie is based may tell us more about the future of storytelling. Continue reading at Knowledge@Wharton

[ Knowledge@Wharton | 2012-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #comic books #$200 million


First Rowling translation deals

J K Rowling's The Casual Vacancy is to be published in Germany by Carlsen and Ullstein,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #casual vacancy


Google gives us some insight on the inner workings of Google Translate

Google may have started out as a search engine, but the scope of its services has grown considerably in the 20-plus years since its origin. Of the many products in its grand stable, Google Translate has become a workhorse platform, lending its multi-lingual chops to Chrome, Google +, Android,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #search engine #grown considerably #core mission #video interview


Media Decoder: Author Found on Penguin's Web Site Signs Book Deal

An imprint of Penguin Group USA discovered Kerry Schafer after she posted samples on Bookcountry.com, a site that lets writers share their work. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2012-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media decoder