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who take the financial risk to publish and promote these books
in an increasingly crowded market. Over the last 15 years, I’ve
seen more and more of these advocates of translation enter the
game, promoting literature in translation not just from across
the borders, but from within our own communities. But as Chad
Post discusses in “The Myth of
the ‘Three Percent Problem,’”
only a tiny percentage of the
books published in the U.S.
are works in translation. There
are still many authors around
the world who have never
been translated into English,
particularly women writers and
writers from Africa. Some of
them have been shortlisted for
“Our goal for this
book was simple: to
illuminate for the
general reader the
art and importance
of translation.”
the Nobel Prize many years running. There are statues of them in
their own countries, buildings named after them, postage stamps
with their pictures, and yet they remain virtually unknown to
American audiences.
The National Endowment for the Arts has endeavored over
the years to address these challenges. Since it began awarding
translation fellowships in 1981, the agency has spent more
than $8 million on the publication, presentation, and creation
of translated literary work. Through the fellowships program,
364 translators have received grants to translate literature from
66 languages originating in 86 countries. That’s impressive,
considering the projects must be of the highest artistic excellence
and merit. The NEA also supports the publication and promotion
of translators and translation books through its grants to
organizations and special projects, like this collection of essays.
The writers included here are masters of their craft and tireless
advocates of translation, but they are by no means the only ones.
Our goal for this book was simple: to illuminate for the
general reader the art and importance of translation through a
variety of points of view. Each essay tells a different story; each
story adds to our understanding of this little-known art form.
And in case you read through these passionate essays and find
yourself inspired to make the next book you read a work in
translation, we’ve asked each of our contributors to recommend
three books. These are not necessarily the quintessential,
canonical, must-read translations from an academic point of
view, but rather three books that they simply loved and wished
to share.
The Art of Empathy: Celebrating Literature in Translation
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