The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
Issue link: https://thelinguist.uberflip.com/i/961437
Q How did you choose the location in Shoreditch, East London? A There was no hesitation: it had to be East London. It's a very vibrant area, full of culture, galleries and bookshops. The more an area is known for being literary or culturally interesting, the more people will come. It's about being part of a community. Q What is your language background? A At school we both studied English; Anne also studied German and Italian, and I studied Spanish and Turkish. Q What skills did you learn for the venture? A I did a two-week training programme at the Institut National de Formation de la Librairie in Paris, and went to book fairs in Frankfurt, London and Paris. We do most things ourselves: the website, social media, running the shop. We worked with a graphic designer on the logo, and French architect Johann Bertelli designed the space. thelinguist.uberflip.com APRIL/MAY The Linguist 21 FEATURES Q How did the new 'Art of Translation' events programme develop? A We hosted two very successful book launches, for This Little Art by Kate Briggs and Translation as Transhumance by Mireille Gansel, translated by Ros Schwartz. We realised that a there was a large audience interested in literature in translation, but few events on the subject in London, and we decided to run events focusing on the translators. Alongside these events, we display a selection of books in translation curated by a publisher, journalist, author, translator or member of a relevant organisation. Q Have you made changes to the business? A We have always wanted to do events but hadn't expected them to become such an important part of our identity. We have expanded our selection of books in English, and decided to specialise in international contemporary literature translated into English, which we believe is a great fit for Caravansérail – this idea of hybridity. www.caravanserail.co.uk Thebig idea Q How would you describe Caravansérail? A It's a French and English bookshop, gallery and event space, providing a welcoming space for readers and art lovers to relax, reflect and interact. We specialise in French books, international literature translated into English, graphic novels and children's books. Our gallery space provides a platform for emerging artists, with a focus on drawing and photography, with an exhibition preview on the first Thursday of every month, organised in partnership with the Whitechapel Gallery. We also present a regular programme of events, from book launches and discussions around translation to concerts and storytelling. Q How did the idea come about? A I decided I wanted to become a bookseller while I was working as an economic attaché in the French Embassy in Beirut. My husband and I moved to London in 2015, and I felt that there was room for a French-English bookshop here. My cousin [Anne Vegnaduzzo] and I had passionate conversations about the project; she had founded an artists' residency in Paris and artist agency in Vancouver, and we decided to set up the bookshop together. Q Why was the bilingual aspect important? A From the beginning, the idea was to have a French identity open to the wider community. Hybridity is at the core of what we do, and just as we want to bring together literature and the arts, we also want to have French and English side by side. There are so many bilingual and bi-national families in London, always between two languages and cultures, and I think they are happy that this is physically represented at Caranvansérail. They're not always French-English, but the concept somehow resonates with them. Caravansérail co-founder Laura Cleary on turning the dream of a bilingual bookshop-gallery into a thriving business Laura (right) and Anne at Caravansérail