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The Value of Differences: Jennifer Lindsay on Noticing Translation
International literary prizes and book reviews are increasingly acknowledging the importance of translated work. However, as Jennifer Lindsay argues, while translators themselves are receiving acclaim, their art remains largely underappreciated.
Take, for instance, the novelist Anjum Hasan’s review in the NYRB of the IBP prize-winning book, Tomb of Sand, by Geetanjali Shree, translated from the Hindi by Daisy Rockwell. Apart from general discussion of the (original) book, its author and context, there is analysis of style – tone, voice, idiom and rhythm, for instance – and any other idiosyncrasies – use of dialect, profanity, colloquialism, humour – as well as commentary on how the translator has navigated the challenges of rendering these stylistic characteristics. When awarding the 2019 IBP to author Jokha Al-harthi and translator Marilyn Booth for Celestial Bodies, the chair of the judging panel, British historian Bettany Hughes, emphasised: ‘[W]e felt we were getting access to ideas and thoughts and experiences you aren’t normally given in English.
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