Book Translation: Background information when reading My Husband

Book Translation

This article relates to My Husband

In Maud Ventura's novel My Husband, we get a glimpse into the main character's work as a book translator. Translated books give readers the chance to step into the shoes of characters living in different countries and cultures. When it comes to American books in translation (like this English-language version of Ventura's novel, translated from the French by Emma Ramadan), an often-cited statistic is that only around 3% of books published in the United States are translated works, a number that some in the industry are working to increase.

The process of bringing foreign language books to readers is a complex one, involving the dedicated work of many highly skilled professionals. First, a publisher wanting to issue a translated version of a book must obtain the translation rights, typically from the original publisher. Most commonly, they purchase "world rights," which allow them to sell their translation in any country, but sometimes the rights will be split up into, for instance, U.S. rights and U.K. rights. In that case, one publisher would be able to sell a British English translation in the U.K., and another could sell an American English edition in U.S. stores. The publisher who purchases the rights is responsible for handling the translation and publication of the book. The original publisher of the foreign language text is not involved after rights are sold.

There are imprints and small presses that focus heavily on translated works. One example of an English-language publisher who does this is HarperVia, a division of publishing giant Harper Collins that puts out contemporary international literature, much of it in translation. Open Letter, an indie press operated out of the University of Rochester, is focused entirely on translated literature and publishes ten books a year. Another small publishing house, Tilted Axis Press, publishes translated works primarily from Asian and African authors.

Most publishing houses that deal with translated works have pre-existing relationships with professional freelance translators. Although a high level of cultural understanding and literacy in both languages is often required, skill in speaking the source language is not, and language knowledge varies among translators. Elena Ferrante's English-language translator Ann Goldstein, for instance, explains in an interview with The Guardian that she didn't learn Italian until she was in her 30s, and her grasp of the written language is much stronger than her ability to speak it.

Each translator has their own process, with some thoroughly studying the book first and others reading it for the first time and translating as they go. Some translators might work very closely with the author, while others do not (particularly those translating works by long-dead authors!). Translators generally work alongside an editor at the publishing company. They are usually paid a flat fee based on the length of the book, but may occasionally be able to negotiate for a portion of the royalties.

Some translators might work with the same author on a variety of works. Deborah Smith, the founder of Tilted Axis Press, has translated multiple books by renowned Korean author Han Kang into English, and the two have developed a close partnership. Smith tells The Guardian that Kang "thinks translation is artistic and creative in its own right, and that they're 'our books.'"

Thanks to the work of writers, editors and translators, we're able to explore other cultures from the comfort of our homes. If you're looking for your next translated read, you can check out our Books in Translation category to find more translated literature we've featured.

Photo of library with globes in center, by Michal Jeník via Pixabay

Filed under Books and Authors

This "beyond the book article" relates to My Husband. It originally ran in August 2023 and has been updated for the June 2024 paperback edition. Go to magazine.