Thursdays, October 2 to November 13, 7-9pm Eastern Time
*note that there is no class on Thursday, November 6
10 students max; Online
$350
Enroll in this workshop.
When reading international literature, we’re also reading the histories and cultures from a rich array of languages from across the world. Literary translation is an art that brings these books into cross-cultural conversations. What are the pathways like, breaking into the world of literary translation? How do we go from finding a book that speaks to us in another language, and eventually publishing the work and interacting with English-speaking audiences?
In class, we’ll do weekly readings that include essays about translations and excerpts of books translated from various languages, based on each week’s theme.
Starting from Week 2, we’ll workshop short translation practices or translation-in-progress from each student. This is a non-language-specific workshop and there is no limit in the genres to submit (poetry, hybrid forms, and picture books are very welcomed). Every translator will get to workshop once and have a one-on-one meeting with the instructor. If you are just starting a project, or already have a project in-progress, this is the workshop for you.
Here’s an overview of the weekly translation themes:
Week 1 Introduction to Literary Translation and International Literature
Week 2 Translating Voices and Consciousness: On Dialogues and Internal Conversations
Week 3 Translating Gender: On Translating Queer and Feminist Literature
Week 4 Translating the Weird: On Strange and Surreal Narratives and Overthrowing Conventional Structures
Week 5 Experimentation in Translation: Working on Hybrid, Poetry, and Graphic Novels
Week 6 Building Translation Communities: On Solidarity and Resources to Publishing Our Works
Enroll in this workshop.
About the Instructor
Jenna Tang is a Taiwanese writer and a translator who translates between Mandarin, French, Spanish, and English. Her translations and essays are published in The Paris Review, Lit Hub, Restless Books, Latin American Literature Today, AAWW, McSweeney’s, Catapult, Fare Magazine, and elsewhere. Her translations include works from Taiwanese feminist authors, Lin Yi-Han (Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise), Lâu Tsí-û (“Not Your Child”), Leah Yang, and more. She has given talks about translation, languages, and gender movements across 22 universities in the States, Canada, China, and Taiwan.
Student Testimonials
"Jenna Tang is doing incredible and important work as a translator and writer. She is so generous and always opens the door for others. Her work challenges the status quo and creates a space for resonant stories and writers to find many audiences and communities across languages and borders. She helps us see what is possible in the literary world and how to find our way toward it. I can't think of anyone I'd rather learn from more!" — K-Ming Chang, writer
“Jenna Tang works tirelessly and generously to promote literature in translation and to build community within the translation sphere. As a translator from Taiwan now based in the US, she moves fluidly between the cultures she translates from and to, probing the bounds of the English language and seeking out voices who have hitherto not received sufficient attention.” — Jeremy Tiang, translator
“Jenna is a thoughtful translator and creative spirit who works from multiple lineages and myriad inspirations, toggling between the minutest of details and big-picture issues in a text with ease. Warm and inquisitive, she's committed to community in all senses and brings passion and energy to every one of her endeavors.” — Mike Fu, Literary Translator of Sanmao’s Stories of the Sahara
“Jenna made each one of us feel valued and comfortable during class. She was a fantastic teacher, genuinely enthusiastic about the subject. Her thoughtfully-prepared class discussions were directly applicable to my translation practice, and I am now a better translator because of it.” — Former Student