Events
Translating from the Margins
Both as a translator and as a publisher, Deborah Smith works with languages that don't always get much UK shelf space. She'll briefly explain her route into the field, the issues and idiosyncrasies of bringing Korean into English, and what she's learnt along the way, before opening up to talk about the challenges and opportunities of working with under-represented languages – to act as a curator, and work to redress gender imbalances and cultural stereotypes. The discussion will finish by outlining the exciting renaissance which the UK's translation scene is currently undergoing, and the various ways to get involved.
Deborah Smith began learning Korean in 2010, after a BA in English, and moved to London to pursue an MA and PhD in Korean literature at SOAS. She has been translating Korean literature since 2012, including The Vegetarian and Human Acts by Han Kang, and A Greater Music and Recitation by Bae Suah. In 2015 Deborah founded Tilted Axis, a non-profit press focusing on cult, contemporary fiction translated from Asian languages. In 2016 her translation of The Vegetarian won the Man Booker International Prize and an LTI Korea Award. She also won an Arts Foundation Award for Literary Translation for her work as a translator both on and off the page, which includes teaching, mentoring, consultancy and reviewing. In 2018 she will teach literary translation as part of a residency at the University of Iowa. She tweets as @londonkoreanist...but now lives in Sheffield.
All welcome - 5pm drinks for 5.30pm start. Please RSVP here or email with enquiries L.S.Mark@sussex.ac.uk.