Description
Eight Wednesdays, Mar 11-Apr 29, 5:45-7:45pm
Open to participants comfortable reading and analyzing text in French
Limited to 12 participants
Hybrid Workshop*
Curious about literary translation? This eight-week workshop is an opportunity to experiment with translating contemporary French-language fiction from Quebec in a supportive setting where we will discuss the challenges and possibilities of different texts in translation together as a group.
Each week, participants will take home a short excerpt from a work of fiction to translate from French to English. We will then discuss and workshop our translations together during the following session. We’ll work on texts that pose a variety of different challenges in translation, such as cultural references; jokes; regional slang and Québécismes; the inclusion of other dialects, accents, or languages; period-specific dialogue in historical fiction; experimental prose; and rendering voice in a first-person narrative.
Throughout the workshop, we will also think together about audience, adaptation, research, and the role and responsibility of the translator, and we’ll look at examples of existing translations to see what we can learn from different approaches. In our final session, we’ll take a look at the process of translating a book for publication, from choosing a project to writing a pitch to working with a reviser.
No previous translation experience is necessary for this workshop, but participants should be comfortable reading and analyzing texts in French in order to write their own English translations.
*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Westmount, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot, contact Riley at riley@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you.
