The Linguist

34 The Linguist Vol/64 No/3 ciol.org.uk/thelinguist OPINION & COMMENT Helen Vassallo's illuminating article ('Breaking into the Book Club', TL64,1) addresses many of the questions I have about the lack of diversity and inclusion in the field of literary translation. Personally, I have found that trying to enter well-known translation prizes, such as the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation, which requires the support of an 'established publishing house', or the Scott Moncrieff Prize, where the same translators tend to win year after year, feels like breaking into an exclusive club – almost impossible without an existing track record and publishing contacts. While the author rightly celebrates the increase in translated works by female authors, her broader question about the lack of racial and geopolitical diversity is particularly relevant. Her focus on the Pen Presents initiative, launched by English Pen in 2022, highlights what genuine inclusion looks like in the form of translation grants designed to promote diverse languages and literature rather than reward existing insiders. She makes an important point about looking beyond the numbers to examining barriers to participation. The translation prizes I have navigated prove her point: without overcoming these barriers, increased representation may simply mean the same established translators working on more diverse texts. Initiatives like Pen Presents offer hope by showing that when we actively dismantle exclusionary practices, we can genuinely transform the landscape for all translators. Bokani Hart MCIL CL Email linguist.editor@ciol.org.uk with your views Eyhab Baden Eddin Dr Eyhab Bader Eddin MCIL CL is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Dhofar University, Oman. A scholar in translation and applied linguistics, he has a broad portfolio of research and publications, and is also a mentor for the next generation of translators and linguists. See p.18 Guilherme Fians Dr Guilherme Fians is a digital anthropologist working at the University of Manchester. His research on multilingual knowledge production, authority, authorship and language activism has appeared in English, Esperanto, French and Portuguese. His latest book is Esperanto Revolutionaries and Geeks (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). See p.14 Sangi Gurung Dr Sangi Gurung MCIL CL is a practising public service interpreter in the UK. She is passionate about her work and committed to delivering high-quality service in every assignment she undertakes. She also enjoys writing about interpreting and translation practices. See p.22 Alice Harrison Alice Harrison is Subject Lead for Languages at Oak National Academy, with over 30 years' experience in languages education. A former Chair of NALA, she has led language teaching at school, regional and national levels. She is passionate about social justice and closing the disadvantage gap through education. See p.24 Sue Leschen Sue Leschen FCIL CL is a well-known lawyer- linguist who has married together her twin passions of law and languages. She is the director of niche-market company Avocate Legal French Services (www.avocate.co.uk), which also provides mentoring for language professionals in business skills, legal terminology, and legal and business English. She is a member of CIOL's Interpreting Division Steering Group and Professional Conduct Committee. See p.16 Jim O'Driscoll Jim O'Driscoll is a teacher and researcher who has held posts in six different countries and is the author of Britain: For learners of English (Oxford, 2009). His research straddles several aspects of language-in- situated-use. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Politeness Research and author of Offensive Language (Bloomsbury, 2020). He is currently working on a book advocating greater use of linguistics in public life. See p.12 Tamer Osman Tamer Osman MCIL CL is a Canadian linguist, translator and Senior Lecturer at Shanghai International Studies University. Fluent in English and French, with additional proficiency in Spanish and German, he researches phonology and language acquisition. He holds memberships in major global linguistic organisations, and is widely recognised for his academic publications, international conference presentations and extensive cross-cultural linguistic research expertise. See p.9 CONTRIBUTORS Literary translation: is it a closed club? © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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