International Translation Day celebrates translation, translators and translated literature every 30 September. For ITD 2021, we ran a series of interviews and panel talks, in collaboration with sister UNESCO Cities of Literature Lviv and Ljubljana. We’ve also heard from local translators based in Nottingham, who combined work in over 10 languages, including French, German, Polish, Slovene, and Russian.

Explore the Nottingham programme of interviews, videos, and panel talks below. To see more information on the #ITD2021 nationwide programme, visit our friends at English PEN, who have published a fantastic summary on their website.

ITD2021 Panel with Tadeja Spruk, Dr Katie Harrison, and Dr Olivia Hellewell
To celebrate International Translation Day 2021, we met with literary translator Tadeja Spruk from Ljubliana, Slovenia. Listen back to the discussion between Tadeja, Dr Katie Harrison, and Dr Olivia Hellewell and hear all about the intricacies and complexities of literary translation, pursuing a career in translation, and more. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/pfebH4lZrCc
Translation in Lviv UNESCO City of Literature
Lviv UNESCO City of Literature profiled a series of local translators and heard all about their work in translated literature. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovsxeKpGT8I&feature=youtu.be
In conversation with Dr Jack Benjamin, translator of Polish and Russian
Here, Nidaa from the NUCoL Youth Advisory Board meets with Jack Benjamin, a translator of Polish and Russian based in Nottingham. His interests include mixed languages, work by national minorities, and creating an inclusive space in sustainability. In addition to his translation work, he is a musician, whose practice seeks to express identity through creative action: https://bit.ly/39MpIT9
English PEN’s Nationwide ITD Programme
To read more about International Translation Day events up and down the country, read through English PEN’s comprehensive programme of exciting talks, workshops, and competitions on their website: https://www.englishpen.org/international-translation-day/itd-2021-nationwide-programme/