“Poems by, and Interview with Ahren Warner”, the Master Programme for the Translation of the Contemporary Literary Text Puts Forward a New Translation Approach

The eZine of Modern Texts in Translation – Translation Café No 211, a joint project of the University of Bucharest, the British Council, the Romanian Cultural Institute and the Writers’ Union of Romania present the volume “Poems by, and Interview with Ahren Warner”.

This volume is translated into Romanian by the MTTLC master graduate Silvia Staicu, a work which was also her Master Dissertation Paper. Specialized translations are merely regarded as a job by the graduates of a literary translation master programme, whereas literary translations are a vocation. A publishing house is one of the most coveted work places for the students of a literary translation master programme. Poetry translation is by far the most difficult type of translation. No word should be cast aside, with no interpretation or adaptation. The literary translator typically translates from his language of origin.

The poets, whose volumes are published by a big publishing house, met their future translators, which are still currently enrolled undergraduate students of the University of Bucharest. This is perhaps an inaugural project of the University of Bucharest. Five poets from the Bloodaxe Books Publishing House and Neil Astley, the publishing house director, have worked side by side with the students of the Master Programme for the Translation of the Contemporary Literary Text.

All in all, it was poetry which grasped everyone’s attention within this initiative. You could find some more on the Translation Café No 211 project here.