The four books that constitute this year’s shortlist—Judith Schalansky’sAn Inventory of Losses, translated by Jackie Smith, Jonas Lüscher’sKraft, translated by Tess Lewis, Volker Ullrich’sHitler: Downfall, 1939-1945, translated by Jefferson Chase, and Sasha Marianna Salzmann’sBeside Myself, translated by Imogen Taylor—stood out for their ingenuity, beauty, and accuracy in capturing the letter and spirit of their respective source texts.
The Quarantine Tapes Podcast
On episode 184 of The Quarantine Tapes, guest host Naveen Kishore is joined by Tess Lewis. Tess is a translator and she and Naveen dig into how she has experienced translation during this time of quarantine. Tess explains how she sees translation as an act of intimacy and a responsible, responsive act.
Naveen and Tess touch on the recent controversy around the Dutch translation of Amanda Gorman’s work and discuss the politics and ethics of translation. They talk about the incredible diversity that exists within languages and how translation can work to give smaller languages their due. Tess ends the episode by reading from two of the writers whose work she has translated, Philippe Jaccottet and Maja Haderlap.
Ten Questions from the Massachusetts Review
Reflections on translating Karl-Markus Gauß’s essays and the beauty of Vienna
Interview on The Virtual Memories Show
A conversation with Gil Roth about Festival Neue Literatur, translation, and European fiction.
My Mother's Tears named a finalist for French-American Foundation Award
The winner of the 33rd annual French-American Foundation Translation Prize will be announced on May 6th.
Interview with Tupelo Quarterly about translating Philippe Jaccottet and others
Seeding Time: on Philippe Jaccottet, translating, and translation
One Another chosen as Asymptote's April book of the month
In Conversation with Asymptote Editor Chris Powers.
Kruso named runner-up for Schlegel-Tieck Prize
On February 13, the Society of Authors named Kruso runner-up for the 2018 Schlegel-Tieck Prize, awarded annually for a translation from German.
From the TLS
Kruso is a novel steeped in locality – there are numerous references to the Naturalist playwright Gerhart Hauptmann, who holidayed on Hiddensee and was buried on the island – but an important work, too, in its chronicling of the final days of communism in East Germany. Tess Lewis’s excellent translation is runner-up for the Schlegel-Tieck.
Translation of Kruso nominated for the Schlegel-Tieck prize
Jury Citation: Tess Lewis’ translation is absorbingly readable; she is closely attuned to the lyricism of Seiler’s prose and deftly conveys its fantastical, mesmeric quality.
Translation of Kruso nominated for the 2019 International DUBLIN Literary Award
http://www.dublinliteraryaward.ie/
Translation of Christine Angot's Incest nominated for the Best Translated Book Award
Long list announced at The Millions
Interview with Bookwitty about translating Christine Angot
On translating Incest, by Christine Angot, nominated for the 2018 Albertine Prize
Voting on the prize is open until May 1st
Translation of Christine Angot's Incest Nominated for 2018 Albertine Prize
Voting open until May 1st
Trafika Europe Swiss Literature Issue released
Edited by Tess Lewis, Swiss Delights presents works by 12 of Switzerland's most engaging and intriguing contemporary writers.
Presenting Michael Fehr, Max Lobe, Leta Semadeni, Ilma Rakusa, Odile Cornuz, Michel Layaz, Klaus Merz, Noëlle Revaz, Mariella Mehr, Frédéric Pajak, Dana Grigorcea and Matteo Terzaghi.
Translations by Alta Price, Shaun Whiteside, Marc Vincenz, Roger Russi, and Tess Lewis
Angel of Oblivion nominated for 2017 Best Translated Book Award
Why this book should win feature on the Three Percent Blog
2017 PEN Translation Prize to Tess Lewis for her translation of Angel of Oblivion
From the judges' citation:
Maja Haderlap's Angel of Oblivion is a compelling novel that sheds important light on the little known history of Austria's Carinthian Slovene minority. Fluid and vigorous, Tess Lewis's translation captures Haderlap's elegant balancing of the narrator's bucolic childhood, lyrically described, and the underlying trauma of the Second World War's ravages on the community.
Austrian Literary Scene Mapped on Map World Literature
Contemporary Austrian writing feature posted on Map World Literature
Angel of Oblivion named a 'Best of 2016' by Artforum and nominated for PEN Translation Prize
Angel of Oblivion made the longlist of the 2017 PEN Translation Prize and was chosen Dia Foundation Director Jessica Morgan as one of 2016's outstanding titles in Artforum.
ACFNY sponsored 'Angel of Oblivion' Book tour
Maja Haderlap’s Angel of Oblivion is a groundbreaking novel based on the author’s own family story as part of the Slovenian-speaking minority in southern Austria and that community’s struggle against the Nazis during World War II. The novel was awarded several prestigious awards including the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize.
For her outstanding translation of a sample text, translator, editor, and literary critic Tess Lewis was presented the 2015 ACFNY Translation Prize.
Together with Archipelago Books, and in cooperation with other partners, the ACFNY is pleased to present the author and her translator on tour to New York City, Washington DC, and Boston during September and October 2016.
Information on individual readings and events
Austrian Literature Feature in Words Without Borders
In this month’s special feature, 2015 Guggenheim Fellow Tess Lewis translates and introduces a selection of contemporary fiction, poetry, and drama from Austria. Lewis writes: “Often lumped into the unwieldy category of German-language literature or overshadowed by Austria’s literary giants, many of its most interesting writers have yet to be translated into English. A country of eight million people, Austria has six official languages. A century ago, under the Hapsburg Empire, more than twice that many ethnic and linguistic groups were bound in a fruitful if sharp-elbowed co-existence and those creative tensions invigorate Austrian writing to this day.” In their distinct ways, these pieces are animated by the frictions that have energized Austrian literature for generations, from Joseph Roth and Robert Musil to the four writers featured here.
Maja Haderlap 2 poems
Karl-Markus Gauss
Alois Hotschnig
Antonio Fian