The Linguist

@Linguist_CIOL OCTOBER/NOVEMBER The Linguist 23 FEATURES is how much time you spend on activities that support, enable or inform that core process – researching authors, writing reader's reports, communicating with publishers and other translators and so on. That helps keep things feeling fresh and slightly more sociable. RW 'Sociable' is the key word for me. I had vague notions that literary translation involved networking, publicising and public speaking, but what struck me most was the sense of community that came with those things. It's easy to see translation as a solitary practice, but the time I've spent chatting with translators on Twitter, Zoom – even in our own monthly mentee meetings – made me realise how communal doing translation really is. CR It was at the BCLT Literary Translation Summer School where I began to get a real picture of the variety of roles a literary translator takes on. It was exciting to hear about the different things my summer school colleagues were involved in. The mentorship has given me even more awe and respect for what literary translators do and how necessary their work is. Mentees have monthly meetings to edit each other's translations and exchange news. It has done wonders for my self- esteem and encouraged me to reach out to more established literary translators. What is the most important thing you realised? JK The literary translation community is almost scarily supportive and welcoming. I have been consistently amazed by how generous people can be once you reach out. The mentorship brought home the importance of talking through your work with other translators. Not only is it a self-esteem boost, but it also obliges you to justify translation decisions that would otherwise have sneaked past unquestioned. CR I can completely relate. In 2019, I was diagnosed with autism. After many years of consistently struggling (and failing) to adapt to 'ordinary' workplace environments, I'd reached a point where I felt I may never be able to sustain a career. (Only 16% of autistic people in the UK are in full-time work, with only 36% having paid work at all.) It was then that translation first presented itself to me. Working with Anton and the other mentees has given me the confidence to believe that this is something I can do long-term, and that my autism has given me a unique relationship to language and translation. Jesse, you mentioned the ETN, which is an incredibly supportive online forum. What other practical advice do you have for budding literary translators? JK I'm still 'budding' myself, but the doors that have opened for me so far have been the result of winning a translation competition, as well as this mentorship. So my advice would be to enter as many competitions as possible, and work towards concrete goals, rather than vaguely aspiring to do literary translation work – a limbo I spent a few years in myself. Use Twitter or other networks to learn about what other literary translators are up to, and participate in as many events as possible. RW I agree: go and meet people, online or offline. Literary translators are so inviting, so finding your way into that world is not a great challenge or mystery. Everyone loves a chat! Look for as many events and talks as you can – practical translation workshops are a great way to meet people and gain experience. CR The support of this community has meant so much to me on a personal level. In particular, hearing the experiences of my translator friends of colour has both reiterated the privileges I hold being white within the field, and also struck certain parallels with my experiences navigating neurotypical spaces (autistic people have a specific term for how we deal with this: masking). Even though it's daunting, reaching out to the literary translation community has been one of the most rewarding things I've done. I would love one day to form a group for neurodivergent literary translators! The landscape for emerging translators is improving: the American Literary Translators Association has its own Emerging Translator Mentorship Program, and this year New Writing North established a mentorship for translators into and out of Arabic. Some translators also offer informal mentorships, and CIOL has its own mentorship scheme (see ciol.org.uk/benefits/mentoring). To apply for an NCW Emerging Translators Mentorship visit cutt.ly/ncw_etm. If you want to take the plunge with literary translation, I couldn't recommend a mentorship enough. "The mentorship made me realise that being a literary translator involves a lot of non-translation work" GROWING CONFIDENCE Anam Zafar at her desk (left): and (far left, clockwise from top) mentees Clare Richards, Jesse Kirkwood and Reuben Woolley

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