How does being a woman affect creative work and business decisions for book industry professionals in Russia, the UK, and the US? This discussion of stereotypes and realities of women’s literature – covering markets, preferences, and the importance of translating more women’s writings – will consider the context of translated fiction, which accounts for around three percent of English-language books published, approximately 30% of which are written by women.
As we consider women writers’ work, we’ll also consider terms such as “woman’s literature” and how they’re perceived in our countries. What, if anything, might they imply about authors, readers, sales, reviews, and the contents of books? What do those factors mean for translation potential – are they pluses or minuses? And how much attention do we pay to these labels as we write, translate, edit, and decide what authors to represent or publish?
We’ll also look at the responsibilities that we – as women and as industry professionals – feel for bringing more books written by women into English translation, discussing some of the themes that we’ve found particularly compelling in books that we’ve worked with and/or read.
Are there any sorts (or genres) of books that may have particularly good prospects for success in English-language translation? Or is the quality – of the writing and story – the primary criterion? Have we observed any uptick in translated books written by women?
The panel will be composed of women who write fiction and critical reviews, translate fiction, buy and sell translation rights, and edit translated books.
The Literary Translation seminar programme is produced with the help of funding from Arts Council England and Amazon Crossing Sponsorship