Spotlight on the Shortlist: Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2011

Last night I attended a panel discussion on the six titles shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. With news that volcanic ash had disrupted a number of flights across Europe, I was anxious to see whether any of the authors and translators would make it. Thankfully the books were well represented, with Peruvian writer Santiago Roncagliolo, Danish translator Charlotte Barslund, US-Turkish translator Maureen Freely and Irish translator Frank Wynne all speaking on behalf of their shortlist entries.

As panel chair Harriet Gilbert noted, three of this year’s shortlisted titles are written by relatively unknown Latin American authors: Kamchatka by Argentine writer Marcelo Figueras, translated by Frank Wynne; Red April by Peruvian writer Santiago Roncagliolo, translated by Edith Grossman and The Sickness by Venezuelan writer Alberto Barrera Tyszka, translated by Margaret Jull Costa. Western readers tend to associate Latin American fiction with the likes of Peruvian Nobel Literature Prize laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, and so it is refreshing to welcome a new bunch of Latin American talent to our shores.

Following readings of each shortlisted text, the panel entered into a lively discussion about the challenges facing the translator. Charlotte Barslund, who translated I Cure the River of Time by Per Petterson, highlighted the growing desire for writers to co-translate or even auto-translate. 'Many writers can speak English so well now and so they can relate to the translation and they want to have input,' she said. Although Danish-born, Barslund speaks fluent Norwegian and was selected to translate Petterson’s novel due to her bi-cultural understanding of his novel which takes places in both Norway and Denmark.

Maureen Freely, who has translated a number of Orhan Pamuk’s books, including this year’s shortlist entry The Museum of Innocence, also benefits from a bi-cultural understanding: she is a US writer and translator but grew up in Turkey in what she calls 'the margins of the bourgeoisie'. She agreed with Barslund that the translator has a 'right to be involved'. However, she was quick to point out that translating a language such as Turkish, which is so far removed from English, does have its own pitfalls and offers both translation and editorial challenges to the translator: 'You have to take to the idea but also have it flow forward into Turkish,' she explained. 'The language structure in Turkish is so different that at times it’s a bit like working with a haiku and trying to turn it into a novel.'

Frank Wynne drew attention to the some of the issues facing translators and the collaboration process with the authors themselves. 'Sometimes writers want to be very involved, whereas others are just not interested,' he said candidly. 'I have worked with some writers who have never returned my emails or calls and so I have had to make my own translation choices. However, if I think the structure needs to be changed to sound and read better in English, then I will always consult with the translator and we discuss the best approach for the text.'

Although the only writer present, Santiago Roncagliolo had some interesting insights into the translation process from the author’s perspective. 'In Latin America, there is a strong tradition of the writer as a public figure and there is always the danger of the public figure devouring the writer. I have been really pleased with the translation and editorial choices made for my novels and sometimes think the English translation is better than the original.'

The panel revealed that writers and translators are constantly faced with new and complex challenges. In an increasingly competitive world where English is the common international language, perhaps these very challenges are what make the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize such an important award. 

A full list of the 2011 shortlist and longlist can be found here and the winner will be announced this evening.