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Counter
Counterpoint
point
erpoint
Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
CEATL’s European Literary
Translators’ E-zine
Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
Contents
From the editors 3
Translating your thoughts 6
Mascha Dabić
The new European Directive on 9
authors’ rights: Will authors be
able to consolidate their gains?
Cécile Deniard
Translation from Belarusan: 13
No hobby for the sane
Anonymous
Embattled linguists: 17
An interview with Maya Hess,
founder of the Red T organization
1
Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
“Diversity only exists as 21
long as there is translation”
Expert group formulates
recommendations for European
cultural policy
Hanneke van der Heijden
Below standard? 25
On translating children’s literature
Marta Morros Serret
notes from around europe: germany 29
Remuneration remains a delicate issue
Andreas G. Förster & Claudia Steinitz
me and my dictionary: 33
My Dictionnaire Royal – the pleasure of
using a historical dictionary
Kim Witthoff
CEATL’s Click List: 36
Links to the world of translation
2
Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
From the
editors
Visibility for all translators of all So, in this issue of Counterpoint we look at
genres, and most particularly literary different experiences and consequences
translators, is often a matter of of visibility: Mascha Dabić writes about
passionate debate, never more so than the difference between being a visible
the present time. Who can translate translator and being a visible author,
what? Who decides who can translate Maya Hess tells the story of how Red T
what? Is a translator’s race, ethnicity, fights to bring attention to the
sexuality, colour, religion, nationality, often highly precarious situation
gender, and/or age more important of overlooked interpreters and
than their translation abilities and translators in conflict zones, and from
professional experience? Less important? Belarus, we hear how the regime is
And is this even the right way to pose actively disrupting the visibility and
the question, as a choice between spreading of Belarusan literature.
the two? Sometimes it is a necessity
for the translator to be visible – and
sometimes a liability. Where does the “Discussion in
point of equilibrium lie? And what does
(political) correctness mean when it itself brings
comes to literary translation? These
are some of the many questions that
our translator community frequently
new insights”
faces, which are complex and maybe By agreement, and in light of recent
impossible, to answer. But the events, the author’s name and any
discussion in itself brings new insights identifying facts have been removed
and is always worth delving into. in order not to compromise their
3
Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
personal safety. Likewise the name organisation FIT and participated in
of the translator of the article.The the Bologna Book Fair in June, trying to
publication of this article is a stark raise awareness so that this extremely
real-life reminder of the dangers important part of the literary lanscape
of translation, including literary is not mistreated or indeed overlooked.
translation. Any illusion that translators While work goes on in the EU to
just convey what’s already there and enhance diversity, spread languages
therefore can not be held responsible and literature, and while it seems that
for the content is clearly dispelled. most nations and regions in Europe are
rather proud of their literary heritage
“CEATL has
and keen to spread the word(s), the case
is quite the opposite in Belarus. Here
the state’s attitude seems to be that
joined forces spreading translated literature from
Belarus is undesirable because using
with FIT” this language is considered a political
protest. Even the spelling of the name of
the language is a topic of political debate.
At the moment, national governments
are working on implementing the DSM
(Digital Single Market) Directive into
national legislation – and much is at
stake when it comes to how it will be
implemented. If the process goes well,
fair remuneration, transparency and
better contracts could all be a bit more
accessible to translators. CEATL has
played an active role in the shaping of
the directive and continues to advise
on its implementation. At the same
time, the European Commission has
gathered experts from across the EU
to offer input on actually spreading
literature from all languages across
Europe. In that way, focus is turned
towards literary translators at a
political level in more ways than one,
bringing our work and our place in
the literary circuit to attention.
Children’s literature, on the other
hand, still seems to get unmotherly
treatment, including when it comes to In the light of the ongoing debate this
translation. In this matter, CEATL has spring – regarding the translation
joined forces with the global translators’ of American poet Amanda Gorman’s
4
Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
The Hill We Climb – supposedly on
“who is allowed to translate whom”,
but in reality about questions that
are a good deal more complex and
therefore rather difficult to answer
in two short sentences; in the light
of the persistent imprisonment of
translators, and of the work of the EU
to support the diversity of languages
through translation, at least two things Hanneke van der Heijden is a literary translator
are clear: literary translation is (also) and interpreter from Turkish into Dutch,
political and the visiblity of literary and writes about literature from Turkey.
translators may be a complex issue.
Photo: Private Archive
“Literary
translation is
also political”
There are, on the other hand, joys to
be found, such as sifting through a
250-year-old dictionary to find just Anne Larchet is a freelance interpreter
the right word, experiencing your own and translator from Spanish to English.
writing being translated, or feeling
the strength of a collegial community Photo: Martin de Haan
when fighting for translators’ rights –
in a boat on the river Spree in Berlin.
All of this and more is part of this fifth
issue of Counterpoint which we are
both proud and happy to present. As
always, we welcome your comments
and suggestions at editors@ceatl.eu
Hanneke van der Heijden,
Anne Larchet and Juliane Wammen
Juliane Wammen is an award-winning
literary translator from English,
Norwegian and Swedish into Danish.
Photo: Tim Flohr Sørensen
5
Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
Translating
your thoughts
Mascha Dabić
Can you be both free and faithful at the experiences and memories as survivors
same time? Well, as a translator this is of war(s) and torture, during sessions
exactly what you are supposed to be. You with an Austrian psychotherapist.
have to find a way to accomplish this
mission impossible, time and again. I am not Nora. Reibungsverluste is not
an autobiography. Nora is a native
I have been translating and interpreting Austrian, and I am not; for Nora,
for ages, literally, but it was only last interpreting is not a profession, for
year that, to my surprise, I experienced me it is. And I, too, have been working
another position in the translation as an interpreter in psychotherapy for
process, namely that of being the many years and have continued to do
author of a book which was translated so, even in Corona-mode, which means
into my own native language. Sounds that ever since March 2020 many of the
complicated. And it is complicated. My psychotherapy sessions where I was
native languages are Serbo-Croatian interpreting took place either online or
and Russian, but I have lived in Austria via phone, but that’s another story.
ever since I was eleven, so German has
become my Bildungssprache (‘language So even though I didn’t write
of education’), and it felt perfectly an autobiography, writing the
natural to write my first (and maybe novel gave me the opportunity to
last?) novel in German. (The title process many situations that I had
Reibungsverluste could be translated as experienced myself as an interpreter
‘Losses in friction’). My novel is about of psychotherapy encounters. Nora
interpreting in psychotherapy, and it helped me to illustrate the restrictions
describes a working day in the life of a of interpreting and to show how
young Austrian woman named Nora. She interpreters work under pressure –
interprets for Russian-speaking Chechen to understand, translate and convey
asylum seekers in Austria who are the meaning as quickly as possible,
struggling to find words to describe their expressed so concisely in Zeitnot.
6
Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
“I was used to To come back to what I had mentioned
in the beginning: last year my book was
having ‘my translated from German into Serbo-
Croatian, by a young translator. All of a
sudden I found myself at the receiving
authors’, but end of a translator’s questions, such as
“What is the exact meaning of this word
now I had ‘my here…? Could it also mean something
else?” I was used to having ‘my authors’,
translator’” but now I had ‘my translator’, Đorđe
Trišović. He did a great job, and I was
impressed by the high level of accuracy
Negotiating the story in his work. It reminded me of my
However, Nora also taught me that an very first literary translations and
author’s freedom is relative as well. I had how nervous I had been when I had
thought that by being the author of my to contact ‘my’ authors and ask them
novel I would be ‘free’: free to choose questions about their texts, because, to
my words, free to design characters, be honest, back then I tended to mystify
free to steer the story in any direction I authors and their work, and it took me
liked. Yes, writing a text definitely brings a couple of years and translated novels
more freedom to pick and choose your until I realized that there is nothing
words and to think your own thoughts wrong with ‘bothering’ authors with
than when you are translating a text. questions, that on the contrary, authors
And yet I discovered that even when
writing you are not fully in control
of what is happening in the text. The
characters that you create turn out to
have their own inner lives, they can do
and think surprising things. At times,
it felt as if I had to negotiate the story
with the protagonists, as if it were up
to them to see if they had the space and
capability to do or say what I wanted
them to. Maybe like a film director who
has a film script and the actors but still
needs to negotiate with the actors to
see if they want to stick to the script
or if they would prefer to improvise
and do something else instead …
While I was working on my text, time
and again there were sentences and
words and scenes that seemed to pop
out of nowhere, and at the same time
there were other sentences or words
that were in my head but that I couldn’t
write down, no matter how hard I tried. Cover of Mascha Dabić’s debut novel
7
Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
Since her M.A. in Translation sciences
(English and Russian) Mascha Dabić
has translated numerous novels
from Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian into
German. She has written journalistic
articles on the topic of migration and
works as a community and conference
interpreter Russian-German. Mascha
Dabić is a lecturer at the universities of
Innsbruck and Vienna. For her first novel
Reibungsverluste (2017) she received a
literary prize of the city of Vienna in 2018.
Mascha Dabić
Photo: Jorghi Poll
actually enjoy seeing someone trying visible on stage as an author felt quite
hard to understand every little nuance suffocating; while as a literary translator
and hint of their text. The translator I am only concerned about the quality of
is arguably the most studious and my translation and whether ‘it works’,
careful reader of a text because there as an author I found myself worrying
is nothing that he can skip (unlike the about whether readers would like my
‘normal’ reader; me, for instance, I work… and what if they thought it was
tend to skip descriptions of nature, stupid? What if I myself thought it was
because I prefer experiencing nature in stupid? Well, I guess these self-doubts
real life instead of reading about it). are part of the concept of visibility too.
You somehow have to deal with the
Collective visibility ‘limelight’ that you have created by
And then, there is the aspect of visibility. writing a book, and for me going back
As translators we strive for invisibility in into the ‘shadows’ of being a translator
our work, in the sense that a translation felt like a relief. Doing your work in a
is considered ‘good’ when the produced rather ‘invisible’ manner gives you some
text seems ‘natural’, as if it had not sort of freedom and peace too – but I
been translated. And yet, on a collective guess I needed to experience an author’s
level, as a group of professionals, visibility to come to fully appreciate
we translators, of course, strive for the translator’s relative invisibility.
visibility in society, and consequently for
acknowledgement. I didn’t mind being What I have learned from the experience
visible together with ‘my’ authors, at of being present as an author is that,
book fairs for instance, when I would when you come to think of it, to speak
interpret their presentations; however, and to write actually means to try and
when I found myself ‘visible’ as an translate your thoughts into language.
author, I found it quite embarrassing. As translators we know that translation
Especially in the beginning, being can never be perfect. But it’s worth a try.
8
Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
The new European
Directive on
authors’ rights
Will authors be able to
consolidate their gains?
Cécile Deniard
Five years: that is the time that elapsed to promote access to works, while
between the public consultations on prohibiting any financial compensation
a new copyright directive undertaken mechanism for authors and publishers.
by the European Commission at the The effect of these highly dangerous
beginning of 2014 and the vote on the proposals was to galvanise all advocates
final text of the so-called DSM (Digital of copyright (authors, publishers and
Single Market) Directive of April 2019. producers, collective management
organisations) from across the creative
The battle of the directive sectors (books, music, visual arts,
The initial months of this battle gave audiovisual) into coordinated action
authors cause for considerable alarm: to emphasise the need to prevent
the Commission’s stated objective was these essential industries from being
to create a single market for works in the weakened. For their part, the majority of
digital age, yet in its rhetoric copyright MEPs showed themselves to be sensitive
was systematically presented as an to these issues, and in particular to the
obstacle to the cross-border circulation situation of authors, with the result
of works, an obstacle that would have that the text finally adopted in July 2015
to be remedied with exceptions. has little to do with the ‘Reda report’.
From then on, the remuneration and
Meanwhile, the European Parliament contractual protection of creators
commissioned Pirate Party MEP was high on the European agenda.
Julia Reda to produce a draft report
on the implementation of the 2001 Since that time, CEATL has continued
Copyright Directive. In her report the to be part of the eventful journey of
Deputy recommended expanding the this reform, lobbying the Commission
scope of copyright exceptions in order and MEPs (in particular to ensure that
9Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
Yüksel Arslan, Le Capitale, Arture XXI, 1973
all provisions in favour of authors possibility of adapting contracts when
could be applied in full to literary the remuneration initially provided
translators) and engaging with for proves to be insufficient; the
authors and publishers when this possibility of repossessing one’s rights
was deemed in our best interest. in the event of lack of exploitation;
and finally, the obligation to establish
Major step forward for authors out-of-court procedures for settling
Ultimately, we can congratulate disputes concerning the transparency
ourselves on the fact that the directive and adaptation of contracts.
includes an entire chapter (articles This latter provision is of particular
18 to 23) which aims to rebalance the interest since it will oblige all States
contractual relationship between authors to set up an arbitration mechanism
and publishers, and thus to ensure that that includes authors’ representatives.
creators receive better remuneration for And the directive as a whole attaches
all their works (digital or otherwise). considerable importance to the notion
of collective action and collective
This definition of a set of rights management: for instance, it introduces
represents a major step forward in the the notion of extended collective
construction of European copyright. management (already well known in
The rights obtained are as follows: Northern countries) in cases where it is
the affirmation of the principle important to provide access to a large
of appropriate and proportionate repertoire of works at once (e.g. out-
remuneration; the definition of of-commerce books) while at the same
transparency obligations on the time preserving the rights and interests
parties to whom works are licensed (in of authors. There is also an emphasis on
other words, the obligation to account collective bargaining in order to reach
for the exploitation of works); the agreements on transparency obligations,
10Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
but also to ensure fair remuneration. all brandished the interests of authors
The frequently cited argument that as a banner of consensus (although
collective agreements would be contrary somewhat paternalistically in the
to EU or national competition legislation case of the publishers and with a fair
should therefore no longer be used measure of bad faith or incompetence
by publishers as a reason for refusing in the case of the supporters of the
collective discussions on remuneration Reda report), as far as the application
(e.g. to define scales or minimum fees). of articles 18 to 23 is concerned, their
interests are widely divergent.
The challenges of the
transposition process
Nevertheless, in its philosophy
“Everything
and wording, the directive offers
considerable latitude to States and depends on how
the directive
stakeholders to define the specific
ways in which its main principles
are to be implemented (e.g. what
is “appropriate and proportionate”
remuneration?). By a strange twist of
is transposed
fate, this is partly in response to the
demands of our own organisations into national
legislation”
which, faced with the Commission’s
first potentially destructive drafts,
had to argue that the text should
not undermine systems that were
already working and that its provisions At the end of 2020, CEATL conducted
could be adapted by stakeholders to a flash-survey on the transposition
very different national contexts. process. Its results indicate a high level
of involvement of our associations, but
However, everything now depends on also points to uncertainties as to whether
the ability of authors’ representatives to the transposition process will lead to
ensure that the progress resulting from significant legislative progress. This will
the directive is correctly transposed have to be assessed when it is completed
into national legislation and then (theoretically in June 2021, but there will
applied – in other words, to make undoubtedly be delays), but the process
the case to the public authorities has been heavily disrupted by Covid,
in the face of publishers who have and has often been side-lined, with
every interest in a minimalist legal what attention there was left focusing
transposition, and then in a non- on Articles 15 and 17 (on the press and
existent application. However, let us be content-sharing service providers).
under no illusions: whereas in the heat Furthermore, while the ability of cultural
of battle the “defenders of copyright” sectors to coordinate has proved very
(authors, publishers, collecting societies) successful at European level, and while
managed to form a united front and some countries have a strong tradition
11Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
A literary translator for the past twenty
years, Cécile Deniard has translated more
than fifty books from English to French. She
particularly enjoys alternating between
fiction and non-fiction (history, political
science). Having been a long-time activist
on the ATLF Board, she is currently vice-
president of the collective management
organisation Sofia, and coordinator of
CEATL’s authors’ rights working group.
Cécile Deniard
Photo: Private Archive
of initiatives involving the various for its transposition... but, come what
players (I am thinking in particular of may, the story doesn’t end there! Even
Germany with the Verdi trade union and if the transposition process initially
the Initiative Urheberrecht association, proves disappointing, the battle is
and the Netherlands with the Federatie not over and we must build on the
Auteursrechtbelangen, which brings progress achieved with this directive.
together creators, creative industries and At European level, by calling on the
collecting societies), in other countries, Commission to ensure that its own
by contrast, the landscape remains very principles in favour of authors are
fragmented and the custom of fighting respected, for example, in the framework
on a cross-sectoral basis has not taken of its translation support programmes.
hold, which may have been detrimental And, at national level, by focusing on
in this case (in France, for example, these achievements as a reference
everything is structured by sector and point in our daily fight for translators.
it is only recently that creators have
recognised their common interests). Translated from French by
Five years for its adoption, two years Penelope Eades-Alvarez
12Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
Translation from
Belarusan —
No hobby for the sane
Anonymous
I started out as a translator of Belarusan* Undesirable spreading of
literature over the winter of 2010-2011. Belarusan literature
The stone-cold murderous dictatorship The years 2012/2013 more or less marked
was already in existence, only back the end of interest in Belarusan culture
then they used to imprison those who that had been temporarily enlivened
held a different opinion one by one, not by the ‘presidential election’ of 2010
by the thousands. After that parody and was only reignited last year – not
of a presidential election in December by the subsequent ‘election’ but by the
2010, a mere eight out of the remaining brutally stifled wave of protest that
nine candidates were locked up by followed. In the meantime, I, for one,
the tenth – the ‘winner’ – and only was unable to get a line published for
one of them got beaten half to death two years. It is also worth mentioning
before the polls closed. He was the one that it requires a great deal more effort
Lukashenka feared the most because to coax publishing houses into accepting
no-one can enthral a crowd like a a text translated from Belarusan than
great poet - Uladzimir Niakliaeu. He the actual translation process. Routinely
was taken to hospital but by the time hopeless. Neither the Republic of Belarus
he came to, he found himself in a KGB nor potential target cultures show any
prison (the same acronym is still used inclination to support translation of
in Belarus to this day). For a week, the this kind in any way, Poland, perhaps,
country had no way of knowing whether being a notable exception – due to the
he was dead or alive. Since then he has fact that the two countries share much
been incarcerated several times. This of their history. There is, to the best of
is why I changed professions. My first my knowledge, a handful of translators
translation of one of his short stories in Europe – mostly in German-speaking
came out (under an alias) quicker, in regions – who possess somewhat keener
fact, than he got out of prison. Thus, I skills in advancing their interests and/or
was bludgeoned into becoming a literary having their work published privately.
translator – a less than ideal beginning.
13Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
All this, of course, is rooted in might print my translation but, in
Belarus. According to the official the meantime, the author – unable
Belarusan standpoint, spreading to publish – keeps fine tuning their
Belarusan literature is undesirable work. A side-effect of this is that the
and has been so, for countless years translation strongly resembles but does
now. The work of the Nobel prize not fully reflect ‘the original’. Luckily,
winner, Alexievich, is no exception. my contemporary authors understand
this since I have been fortunate enough
“It requires a to make their acquaintance and am
proud to call the majority my friends.
great deal more Speaking Belarusan
It is a blessing that the local literary
effort to coax community took me in. The ‘opposition’
writers’ society (ah yes, there is also a
publishing houses writers’ society in agreement with the
into accepting a
text translated
from Belarusan
than the actual
translation
process”
The target language doesn’t matter,
either. Some of the publishing houses
that specialise in Belarusan language
literature operate abroad and the same
goes for several printing houses. The
‘reimportation’of printed products is Postcard of Minsk.
then zealously hindered by Belarusan Wikimedia Commons
customs officials and the police force
who, more often than not, are successful. government) even admitted me into
its ranks. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have
One of the consequences of this is that anyone to talk to in Belarusan: hundreds
my few and far between translations of years of oppression of the language,
still get published before their originals. from East and West alike, has borne fruit.
If I am lucky enough, a literary journal Using Belarusan can be an act of political
14Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
protest. In old-fashioned rural areas, over these 26 years of dictatorship
it is not uncommon that inhabitants – many of them more than once.
speak some sort of – or rather several
sorts of - mixed languages, most
often a Ukranian-Belarusan-Russian- “According to the
Polish mix (so-called ‘Trasianka’).
In this completely KGB-controlled
official Belarusan
country, the use of the Belarusan
language was persecuted even ten to
standpoint,
twenty years ago. Then it was tolerated,
now it’s punishable again, albeit not spreading
always in the word’s legal sense. During
mass arrests/detentions, the police mark Belarusan
people with paint, using specific colours
corresponding to specific activities.
Those who use Belarusan are given
literature is
the cruellest of beatings at the police
station. This is in a country where, over undesirable”
the last decade, eager volunteers have
offered Belarusan language courses in Nevertheless, a translator who is not
several towns and cities. Anyone can in personal contact with Belarusan
attend the weekly classes, foreigners authors has no opportunity to become
included. It represents an opportunity familiar with contemporary literature.
for those who speak the language to Books are customarily printed in batches
converse and build a community. of 100 to 500 copies. Book stores only
keep the most well-known Belarusan
In a situation like this you think long and literature classics and one or two
hard before you decide to chat with your copies of a few contemporary titles
friends in Belarusan over the phone, like are lucky to be included at all. Which is
you used to. Personally, I haven’t given (among other reasons) why only two
up the old habit just yet, but I would be or three, relatively fashionable living
lying if I said I feel no fear whatsoever. authors’ works gets published in foreign
languages apart from the odd exception.
Books and translators Then, as mentioned above, there is the
Since they are foreigners for the most complete lack of support for translation
part, it is more difficult for the regime of Belarusan literature. There’s not
to put pressure on translators. Those much more the regime could do in this
who still live in Belarus would be regard to make matters worse in the
considered an oddity and are generally current, progressively more devastating
lost in the literary crowd. In any case, if political atmosphere. On the other
they are European citizens, they are in hand, several authors have noted that
an easier position than all the writers interest in Belarusan texts has increased
and poets who have seen the inside of remarkably in the current situation. As a
a prison for varying amounts of time literary translator, I find the increase in
15Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
demand for news from Belarus palpable these words, the scale is tipping towards
and – for this exact reason – there seems a power that, at this point, has lost all
to be a greater appetite for Belarusan its legitimacy. Tipping – temporarily,
culture as well. I have had some work one hopes. If the powers that be win,
published in recent years, and other work what will happen then to Belarusan
translated a long time ago, appeared language and literature, and what
in journals. Larger publishing houses will happen to us, its translators?
and print journals remain uninterested
in Belarusan literature – but some *‘Belarusan’ is the author’s choice of
sort of break-through is undeniable. spelling. It is used by some academics
and linguists who strive for sovereignty
Tipping scale of the Republic of Belarus, and was also
I do believe in the future of Belarus. I employed by the UN from 1992 – 1995.
also work for it as a literary translator by
promoting the culture and commentating Translated by a colleague of the author
on events. But I cannot finish this piece
optimistically based solely on my beliefs.
“Contre nous de la tyrannie l’étendard
sanglant est levé!” (“Against us tyranny’s
bloody flag is raised!” – tr. Laura K.
Lawless.) They truly know no bounds.
On 26 February, 24 elderly ladies were
detained in Minsk, some because they
were reading Belarusan literature
on the suburban railway and others
because they were found in possession
of Belarusan books. The charge was the
usual: “attendance at an unauthorised
event”. The most common punishment
was a fine equivalent to one or two
months’ pension although some were
detained for between 15 and 20 days.
One 75-year-old woman’s trial was
expedited but many others were kept in
prison a number of days waiting for legal
proceedings to take place. This is just
one example, nothing extraordinary.
Between August and December 2020, the
game between peaceful protesters and
a police force armed to the teeth was
leaning towards a draw even though it
took the lives of 12 people. (Only 4 are
officially recognised.) As I am writing
16Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
Embattled linguists
An interview with Maya Hess,
founder of the Red T organization
What led to Red T’s foundation? example, confirm that the targeting
Firstly, thank you for this opportunity to of translators and interpreters
talk about a cause so close to my heart. continues. How does Red T see the
The idea came to me on 10 February future for these professions?
2005, as I sat in a U.S. federal court I am always hopeful that one day we will
listening with disbelief to the guilty achieve, or at least come closer to, the
verdict against an Arabic translator/ Red T vision, which imagines “a world
interpreter (T/I) on charges of aiding and in which translators and interpreters
abetting terrorist activity. In this case, can work free from fear of persecution,
the government and the jury construed prosecution, imprisonment, abduction,
interpreting at attorney-inmate torture and assassination.” At this
conversations as material support point, however, many challenges
to terrorism, thereby criminalizing remain, originating from both state
the profession in the United States. and non-state actors. For instance,
To provide a much-needed counter- insurgents in war zones hunt T/Is who
narrative, I wrote my dissertation assist or assisted foreign armies, while
about the trial and, while doing the authoritarian governments continue
literature review, became aware of to crack down on anyone not toeing
other unjust T/I-related prosecutions the line. That said, it is important to
and the serious threats faced by recognize that T/Is may be targeted
linguists in theaters of war. I grew not for practicing their profession
increasingly outraged and wanted to do but for exercising their freedom of
my part in addressing my colleagues’ expression, as is the case with the four
extreme vulnerability. So, in 2010, I Belarus translators who were detained
established the non-profit organization because of their opposition to President
Red T to advocate for translators and Lukashenko’s regime. As such, it was not
interpreters in high-risk settings. a violation of translator and interpreter
rights per se; rather, it was a violation of
Recent violations of translator and a fundamental human right as enshrined
interpreter rights in Belarus, for in the Universal Declaration of Human
17Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
Rights. But whatever the context, the reality, Rasool was interpreting for
world language community must stay the reporters, who were doing a story
vigilant in protecting its members. on the clashes between pro-Kurdish
youth and Turkish security forces. But
Can you give some examples of what while the journalists were released after
was behind Red T’s caption “When six days, the interpreter spent more
translating news lands you in prison”? than four months in prison. And in
T/Is across the world are at risk when Venezuela, a local interpreter was hired
they translate/interpret content in 2013 by an Al Jazeera journalist for an
considered controversial by the powers interview with the leader of one of the
that be. In China, for example, a Uyghur country’s most feared colectivos, a pro-
translator, Mirhemitjan Muzepper, was socialist community organization with
sentenced in 2009 to 11 years in prison a paramilitary arm. After the journalist
for translating Chinese-language news left and the interview was published,
that the Chinese government viewed as the interpreter was stalked with “we are
subversive. He was charged with inciting gonna kill you” text messages and had to
separatism, though the station that go into hiding for several weeks.
employed him and posted the translated
news was never prosecuted. Then there How does Red T monitor violations?
is the case of Mohammed Ismael Rasool, We learn about T/I violations primarily
an Iraqi interpreter who was detained from media sources. We are also
in 2015 by the Turkish authorities along alerted to specific cases by concerned
with two British journalists and charged parties or approached by individual
with aiding an organization the Turkish linguists seeking assistance.
government considered terrorist. In
18Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
What does Red T do to protect our massive mailing campaign and
translators and interpreters informational events, UN member
in high-risk settings? states are increasingly conscious of
Red T engages in a variety of initiatives the need for a protection mechanism
on a macro and micro level. First and for civilian T/Is in conflict situations,
foremost, we advocate globally for laws while individual governments have
and policies that mitigate the threats to implemented more linguist-friendly
linguists operating in high-risk settings policies and/or admitted T/Is on a
by speaking before governmental and case-by-case basis. Of course, other
intergovernmental bodies as well as at organizations have advocated as well,
industry and academic venues. Among among them our close collaborator, the
other activities, we work with member Conflict Zone Interpreter Group of the
states of the United Nations and co- International Association of Conference
organize roundtables in pursuit of a Interpreters (AIIC), which started
legal instrument that protects civilian lobbying for better interpreter protection
T/Is in conflict situations; submit briefs at the Council of Europe around the same
in T/I-related court cases; assist in the time our non-profit was established.
resettlement of individual war zone
linguists; contribute topical research to
the media and documentary filmmakers;
and, together with Columbia University
“While the
in New York, developed a pedagogical
module introducing students to the Red journalists
were released
T cause, which we plan to circulate at
other universities. To scale our efforts,
we joined forces with major international
T/I associations and academia, as well
as with humanitarian organizations.
after six days,
Two key outcomes of these strategic
partnerships are the Open Letter Project, the interpreter
spent more than
which advocates on behalf of embattled
linguists by sending letters of appeal
to the relevant authorities, and the
Conflict Zone Field Guide for Civilian
T/Is and Users of Their Services.
four months in
Has Red T seen positive outcomes prison”
as a result of their activities?
On a general level, our awareness raising On a more granular level, Red T has been
has borne fruit: The threats to T/Is in instrumental in resettling interpreters to
high-risk settings have progressively safety and preventing deportations back
figured on the world’s radar, as to war zones by either working directly
evidenced by broader governmental, with an interpreter or contributing
intergovernmental, media and academic expert opinions/letters of support to
attention. For instance, as a result of asylum and court proceedings. To cite
19Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
Maya Hess is the founder and CEO of Red T,
a US-based non-profit organization
that advocates worldwide on behalf of
translators and interpreters in high-
risk settings. As a forensic linguist, Maya
provided language support and expert
witness services in major US terrorism trials
and experienced firsthand how vulnerable
members of this profession can be. She
holds an MA in Journalism from New
York University, a Graduate Certificate in
Terrorism Studies from John Jay College
of Criminal Justice, as well as an MPhil
and PhD in Criminal Justice from the City
University of New York.
Maya Hess
Photo: Private Archive
a recent result, our Open Letter to the How can people get involved in Red T?
Australian government – which we If any of your readers hear of a T/I
wrote on behalf of international and persecution in their country, they
national T/I associations and which was should please contact us. Moreover,
co-signed by Amnesty International, we are building a T/I incident database
PEN International and the International and would welcome volunteers willing
Refugee Assistance Project – facilitated to comb through the non-English-
the visa pathway for Iraqi interpreters language press on an ongoing basis.
seeking asylum. Specifically, the
Australian Department of Home Affairs Also, to keep abreast of developments
dispensed with the requirement that in the arena of high-risk translating/
interpreters must physically travel to interpreting, we invite your readers
out-of-country embassies and now to follow Red T on Twitter and
permits interpreters to apply by mail Facebook and, to amplify awareness
or courier at their embassy in Amman, raising, share our posts.
Jordan. We applauded the decision,
since the need to travel through war-
torn territory has now been eliminated.
Click here for more information.
20Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
“Diversity only exists
as long as there
is translation”
Expert group formulates
recommendations for European
cultural policy
Hanneke van der Heijden
Last year Counterpoint talked to Valeria translation is essential for the circulation
Pulignano, professor of Sociology at of European works, and thus for “social
Leuven University. As the head of a inclusion and European integration”.
team of researchers on the precarious Thanks to translation, non-native
status of translators and other self- speakers have access to literary works
employed professionals, she noted that from other countries. Translation
the economic position of translators is is, in EU words, ‘key to enabling
becoming increasingly unsustainable. broader access to European content’.
Pointing to the big difficulties this is
causing for both translators themselves Based on these considerations the
and for society at large, she concluded EU Work Plan for Culture 2019-2022
that the system needs to change. provided for the creation of an Open
Method of Coordination (OMC) Group
Pulignano is not the only one worried of Member States’ experts focussing
about the organisation of the European on Multilingualism and Translation.
translation sector. Calls for a more In February 2020 the Council of the
vibrant translation sector can be heard European Union (representing EU
at EU-level as well, though the rationale member states) set up an OMC group
is different. For the EU, the starting of experts from EU member states.
point is the circulation of European Icelandic, Norwegian and Swiss experts
cultural works – not only books but also joined. The group, chaired by
also films, plays and music. The more the French expert and coordinated
these works circulate, the better for by the European commission,
European integration. Since Europe is a was mandated with the task
continent with many different languages, of preparing a report with an
21Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
analysis of best practices as well Pasquali notes “It’s often said that
as recommendations on the role Europe is strong because of its diversity.
of public policies and funding But this diversity will no longer be
schemes. The research question is accessible if the translations published
how policy and funding, whether it are mainly from ‘big languages’
be national or European, can help like English. Diversity only exists
the circulation of translated books, as long as there is translation.”
and can help the development of a
translation sector that is vibrant The OMC Group co-ordinator
enough to cover all cultural sectors. distinguishes between two different
attitudes among publishers. “Some
In March 2021, nearly a year after the say ‘We sell the books we publish’,
OMC group was set up, Counterpoint had whereas others hold the view ‘We
a Zoom meeting with its coordinator, publish the books we sell’.” While
EU policy officer Arnaud Pasquali, acknowledging that companies need to
to talk about the background of the operate on a sound commercial basis,
OMC Group and its inner workings. Pasquali stresses that publishers must
be encouraged to also take risks. One
Publishing and selling of the tasks of the OMC Group is to
“During the Covid crisis it has become find out how the EU can best support
clear that there continues to be an the book sector in this respect.
appetite for literature. People have
more time and they read more. But Navigating between translation sectors
bookshops haven’t been able to fully Supporting publishers is, however,
benefit from this. Publishers on the only one part of this effort. In order
other hand, worried by the limited to enhance the circulation of books,
possibilities for book launches and including books with lesser chances of
other promotional activities, decided to becoming a commercial success, it is
postpone the publication of new books. necessary to address the entire book
Fewer titles come out, and the diversity value chain – from the author of the
on bookshelves is diminishing. Factors original work to making a title available
such as the size of the book sector in to readers abroad which, especially
a certain country and the original in the case of lesser used languages,
language of a book play a role too. Books must include organisations such as
in so-called lesser used languages, literary agencies, funding bodies (both
Portuguese or the Baltic languages for national and European), publishers,
example, are more vulnerable in this book fairs and organisations for the
respect than titles written in one of promotion of books and reading.
the ‘big languages’,” Pasquali says.
And it is here that translators come
As is the case in many sectors of in: the mandate of the OMC Group
society, the Covid crisis has also put emphasises the essential role of
the spotlight on the flaws in the book translators, and the wide array of
sector that have been endemic in the professional tasks they carry out. Apart
system for a longer period of time. from translating texts, translators often
22Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
act as ambassadors and promoters, both covering the rights of copyright holders
to publishers who might be interested in despite the threats technological
publishing a text, as well as to a larger developments and economic challenges
audience, once a text has been translated. constitute to a translator’s income.
The role of the translator in promotional
activities is especially important in In this respect Pasquali mentions the EU
the case of texts written in lesser used Digital Single Market Directive which
languages, i.e. those which are less easily was passed in 2019: “The Copyright
accessible to international publishers. Directive is now being implemented by
EU member states at national level. It
In order to be able to carry out such a provides a new legal framework for the
diverse range of tasks translators have to contractual relationship between the
be equipped with a set of different skills. translator and his or her employer, which
Linguistic and cultural competencies are is a welcome change in some countries.”
the obvious ones. The ability to interact A central feature of this directive, at least
with different agents in the cultural for translators, is that publishers will be
market stems from the translators’ key obligated to provide full transparency on
role in the circulation of cultural work the sales and revenues of the individual
but it also involves an understanding book to the individual copyright holder.
of the technological requirements
in different sectors of translation Not reinventing the wheel
and of a rapidly changing market. Who then are the members of the OMC
Group? Pasquali says “Approximately
Pasquali tells Counterpoint that “most 30% of the members of the OMC Group
translators are self-employed and it are literary translators themselves. As
is often impossible for them to find practitioners, they have professional
enough work in one single sector of experience in the field, expertise and a
the translation market. In order to network of contacts. Representatives of
make a living, literary translators national councils for the promotion of
are increasingly forced to navigate books and similar public organisations
between different sectors, such as make up another 30%. Slightly more than
book translation, dubbing, subtitling, 30% of the members are representatives
interpreting, teaching etc. Translators of the Ministries of Culture in their
therefore need to be up-to-date with respective countries. They mostly work
technological developments, they at an operational level such as financial
need professional contacts in different support or policy, and are keen to learn
sectors, and they need to be visible. At from colleagues in other countries.”
the same time, translators’ work is at
risk in all of these sectors, as artificial
While the composition of the OMC
intelligence and other developments Group itself is a great source of know-
make translations faster and cheaper.” how, the group also invites external
individuals and organisations with
Continuous training for translators is specific expertise or experience to the
therefore another important topic for the meetings. “Organisations such as CEATL
OMC Group, as is the professionalisation are consulted on issues concerning
of the translation sector, upholding literary translators in Europe, and
fair pay and adequate contracts AVTE in relation to subtitling and
23Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
Arnaud Pasquali is a policy officer in the
Creative Europe Programme Unit of the
Directorate General Education, Youth, Sport
and Culture at the European Commission.
He follows in particular the book and
publishing sector. Since March 2020
Pasquali is the coordinator of the OMC
Group ‘Multilingualism and Translation’.
The European Commission
Photo: Romaine. Own work CCO
dubbing. Similarly, we interview renumeration, which is a key to making
publishers and other stakeholders such the translation sector more sustainable?
as representatives from book fairs, book Hopefully, the joint effort of the group
sellers and experts from the educational will be able to provide resources and
sector. We are, in short, talking to the answers to some of these questions.
entire sector. The OMC Group shouldn’t
reinvent the wheel,” Pasquali says. The conclusions of the OMC Group
will take the form of concrete
Divided into subgroups working on recommendations for all stakeholders
themes such as continuous training, in the book value chain at national
status, professionalisation and the and EU level. Considering the
book market, OMC members compare sometimes very different practices
and collect different national policies, between EU-countries, Pasquali
analyse results, discuss examples is keen to avoid one-size fits-all
of best practice and how they can recommendations. The final report is
be applied to improve the support expected to be ready in Autumn 2021.
system. For instance, is the Creative
Europe grant system provided to
publishers an adequate instrument EU funding for the creative sector
for the promotion of a more diverse The Creative Europe programme
literary production? Is it compatible under the European Commission
with financial support given at national has just launched calls for the
level? How can other kinds of support 2021-2027 programme. Cultural
systems, such as networking possibilities organisations can apply for
for translators, be organised? What are funding of cross-European
the requirements for the training of cooperation projects, promotion of
literary translators? How do we ease capacity-building etc. Application
the access to and dissemination of fair deadlines are 26 August and
contracts on translation and proper 7 September. Read about it here.
24Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
Below standard?
On translating children’s literature
Marta Morros Serret
In the years that I have been working as have not yet developed all their potential
a professional translator of illustrated intellectual capacities. Whatever the
books for children, I have, over time, reasons, this does not justify that, in the
realized how diverse children’s publication of children’s books, many
literature is and how important it is, publishing companies consistently
not only in the life of a child, but also neglect to use professional standards:
in their future adult life. The books e.g. not hiring professional translators,
that we read as children transform us not facilitating translation contracts, not
and remain in our memories forever. respecting translator’s rights and, in
some cases, especially when minority
Nevertheless, it seems that children’s languages are involved, translating
literature, compared to adult books from other mainstream languages.
literature, has historically been
relegated to a minor category, socially, Why hire a professional?
professionally and academically. The answer to the above question
Likewise, children’s rights issues have actually should be obvious, but
also been historically marginalized* let me nevertheless explain: first
and somehow, as a domino effect, of all, children’s literature has its
translation of children’s literature has own particularities, which makes
been treated as a minor category of the translation of children’s books
literary translation, to the detriment a specialist task. Some of these
of the working conditions and rights special characteristics are:
of translators of children’s literature. • Orality, especially in books for
young children, because they are
Why is that so? Maybe because there meant to be read aloud, which makes
is the general belief that the world of the cadence and fluency of the
adults is more “serious and important” sentences immensely important.
or maybe because children’s literature • Rhymes: many books play with internal
is created for small human beings that rhymes, a characteristic that helps
25Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
children to maintain their attention and • The correlation between pictures
makes it easier for them to remember and text, an imbrication that
the different passages of the book. often determines the translator’s
• Word repetitions that must work choices, especially when there
in different contexts and sentences, is a pun to preserve.
which also serve as a pull to keep
children captured by the story and to Secondly, hiring a professional translator
engage them in its reading as a game, is important because when dealing with
by allowing them to anticipate what children’s literature, we are dealing
is going to be said and letting them also with children’s education. The
pronounce that particular word. books are supposed to amuse children
• Play on words that make the book fun to but also raise their passion for reading
read and encourage reading in general. and motivate critical judgement, so
they can become informed adults and
responsible citizens in the future. Quality
children’s literature goes a long way
to ensure quality education, which is
one of the goals (no. 4.7) of the World
Education Forum’s Incheon Declaration
within the UNESCO framework of
Sustainable Development Goals. To me,
the connection is clear: quality education
means quality literature and quality
literature needs quality translation,
which means professional translation.
Thirdly, hiring professional translators
means that publishing houses are
committed to both children and
children’s authors, who deserve to
read a good translation and be well
translated, respectively. Why should
a publishing company make the effort
to choose the best authors and best
stories, but then not hire a professional
translator? Considering the challenges
that children’s literature present,
it should be obvious that hiring a
professional translator would be the
best option for the sake of the book.
A page from Orbis Sensualium Pictus When all this is so obvious, you might
(‘Visible World in Pictures’, 1658) by John wonder why publishing companies in
Amos Comenius, regarded as the first many cases choose not to go with the
children’s book professional. For me it sometimes seems
26Counterpoint • No.5 • 2021
that publishing companies forget the companies in Spain, which reads: “The
important aspects of the first word translator shall receive a fair share of
‘publishing’ and only worry about the the profits from the exploitation of his/
second word: ‘company’. If it’s all her work, in whatsoever form it may
about the money, some publishing take, starting from the first copy”.
companies may think that paying the
fee of a professional translator and Let me present an example: in Spain,
respecting translators’ copyrights is due to the fact that authors’ copyright is
a waste of money. Well, it’s actually usually 10 % and for its translations this
the other way round, because a well- is generally reduced to 8 %, the share of
translated book could be a success, translated literature subject to authors’
whilst one that is poorly translated copyrights should be 2 % – copyright-
will definitely not and could make the free books are supposed to be increased
publishing company lose a lot of money. up to 8 % – although more often than
not it amounts to 1 % and, to make
Moral and economical rights things worse, lately it’s been lowering
The bottom line is that, whether we to 0.5 % while in children’s literature
like it or not, professional translators translation, many publishing companies
have moral and economic rights under do not share any percentage at all.
both the auspices of the international
“When dealing
law, like the Berne Convention and the
Nairobi Recommendation, and under
many national laws, like the Intellectual
Property Law of 1996 in Spain, the
country where I currently live and
with children’s
work. Without going into detail on the
articles, two concepts are at least clear: literature, we
these laws state that translators have
moral and economic rights, and none of
them claims that children’s literature
are dealing also
translation is exempt from them.
with children’s
In preparing this article, I reread
CEATL’s clear and comprehensive education”
Hexalogue: the six commandments of
“fair play” in literary translation, and Let’s now do some simple maths.
whilst reading them one by one, I just Translators earn one euro out of a
kept reaffirming myself that, yes, all of hundred; ten euro out of a thousand;
them should also apply to the translation a hundred euro out of ten thousand; a
of children’s literature. Why not? thousand euro out of a hundred thousand.
The magnitude of the difference is
I would like to draw attention to daunting. From my point of view, being
the Hexalogue’s 5th commandment asked to have less than 1 % reaches the
on share in profit, one of the most limits of humiliation and really shows
infringed by children’s books publishing the greed of some publishing companies.
27You can also read
