News and views from Vagabond Voices and the people we work with. Blog posts include explorations of translated literature; cover art design; storytelling; the acts of reading, writing and translating books; and more.
Translation is where things are lost and found, where minds can touch or drift further apart. If it is crafted skilfully, a translation can enrich the mind; if it isn’t, it can be a source of amusement or serious misunderstanding. We’ve compiled a list of six instances in which mistranslations had historically significant consequences.
Read MoreWe wish to explore everything from the process of translation itself to what it’s like for an author to read their work in translation, to what influences a bookseller to buy a particular translation and what translated books are most popular amongst readers right now. It’s a broad topic and I can’t predict where Think in Translation will take the discussion we hope it will spark, but I look forward to watching it unfold.Vagabond Voices' founder Allan Cameron introduces the Think in Translation project and explains why we believe it's necessary.
Read MoreVagabond Voices continues to celebrate translations and its translators. It is proper that translators are occasionally invisible (particularly when the reader is busy suspending disbelief), as their task is to present the authors and not themselves to the reader. But the actual words are not the authors’, but the translators’, and it is also proper that the reader recalls the presence of this intricate and generous craft.
Read MoreWhy should you read a translated novel, when there are so many good ones written in English? Surely a translation is never as good as the original? Who benefits most from translated literature? In this blog post Vagabond founder Allan Cameron explores these questions and also discusses the precarious position of small publishers of translated literary fiction.
Read MoreDuring the 1970s, David Widgery worked as a doctor in acute hospital medicine while attempting to write while on call or early in the morning. For over a year he was involved in a particularly gruelling Casualty rota at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, which included one stretch of twenty-four hours without a break as the only Casualty officer in the hospital. This is an account of one such twenty-four-hour stint, written up at 9 a.m. the following morning in the tea bar on Paddington Station.
Read MoreFor Halloween our authors and other contributors have sent in their favourite scary stories. It's a spooky mix, from urban legends and family stories, to classic cosy tales from long ago!
Read MoreIt's Friday the 13th, and in the spirit of spookiness we'd like to share with you two classic short stories sure to set you ashiver. We've also listed complementary film recommendations in case you're planning to have a spooky movie night!
Read More"When the definitive history of the sixties in Britain comes to be written, few characters will play a larger part in it than David Widgery." David Renton, co-editor of Against Miserabilism, discusses the life and work of writer, doctor and political activist David Widgery.
Read MoreIn the age of fast food, digital downloads and instant gratification, the real allure of bookshops is the space to slow down. Entering a bookshop, rifling the shelves, and settling down between pages for however long is an act of trust; where you choose to lose yourself for a little while speaks volumes. Eloise Hendy talks bookshops and lists her Top 5.
Read MoreDesigner Mark Mechan provides insight into his process for the cover of Heather Richardson's historical novel, Doubting Thomas.
Read MoreAntanas Škėma is still relatively unknown outside of Lithuanian cultural circles. Vagabond Voices' translation of White Shroud will be the first time that his magnum opus will have the chance to be appreciated by an English-speaking readership.
Read MoreIn this interview conducted by Stewart Ennis, Gary Duncan, founding editor of Spelk and author of You're Not Supposed to Cry, discusses the various forms of short story (and short short story, and short short short story!) that are gaining popularity both here in the UK and internationally.
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