The Linguist

books is that they are not only set in countries and cultures that differ to our own, but they are written by people living in them. By their very nature, books in translation offer a different perspective and reflect different realities, and they do so by providing authentic representation. Solutions for publishers In November 2020, CLPE's 'Reflecting Realities Survey of Ethnic Representation Within UK Children's Literature' reported that "the number of children's books published in the UK between 2017 and 2019 featuring characters from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background has increased to 10%." In a society where 33.5% of primary-aged children are from a minority ethnic background, 1 this would suggest that our literature, while improving, is still not representative of the children reading it. Every year, World Kid Lit publishes a list of books in translation for children and young adults that have been published during that year (with the caveat that these are only the books we are aware of – there may be more). Looking down the 2020 list, it becomes apparent that while translated books are being published, there is a prevalence of books translated from the dominant Western European languages and regions, particularly from French and German. While these publications are to be welcomed, we are keen to advocate for 20 The Linguist Vol/60 No/4 2021 thelinguist.uberflip.com FEATURES Why is it important for children to have access to books in translation? Claire Storey reports on World Kid Lit Over the last 18 months, countries around the world have seen borders closing and restrictions imposed on travel. Against this backdrop, interest in children's books in translation appears to be growing, and 2020 was the most successful year to date for the World Kid Lit team. Founded in 2016 by Marcia Lynx Qualey, Lawrence Schimel and Alexandra Büchler, World Kid Lit is a collective of interested individuals – mainly translators – who work to highlight the importance of translated literature for children and young people. But why does it matter that we include books on our children's bookshelves that come from beyond our own country? Firstly, there are some incredible books out in the world that have been written by people who do not write in English. If we do not translate them we, as English speakers, are missing out. Secondly, books allow us to cross borders into different countries and immerse ourselves in different lives and realities. I would argue that in our current situation, where we cannot travel as much or expose ourselves to different countries and cultures, this element is more important than ever. And thirdly, there is much discussion about the need for diversity and inclusion in the books our children read. In a recent talk, Sanchita Basu De Sarkar and Melanie Ramdarshan Bold suggested that they were "cautiously optimistic" about the rise of diverse and inclusive books for children. However, the special thing about translated A window to the world more translations from beyond our European borders. A rise in the number of English- language editions of books written by authors in Asia, Africa and Latin America would facilitate a more nuanced view of life in those parts of the world, adding to the ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity of the books and protagonists young people come across. It can be a challenge for English-language publishers and editors to find these books, particularly if they are written in languages that are unfamiliar to them. Some of the biggest hurdles to translating books from other countries include hearing about the books in the first place, locating a reader to assess a manuscript in the original language, and finding a translator. To facilitate this, World Kid Lit has developed various resources. These include a section of the website called Translate This! where we highlight titles that are yet to be

• Cover