Talking Translations

On this episode, Polish translator Aga Zano discusses using Google Maps to describe cities she hasn’t visited, how her love for literary translation began as a kid creating subtitles for cartoons, and why she thinks Megan Nolan is Sally Rooney’s dark twin.  

Aga Zano spent two weeks in Dublin in October 2022 as Literature Ireland's translator-in-residence. During her time here, she worked on Sebastian Barry's upcoming nove...

Women. Poetry. Translation. A Conversation with Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin and Martina Evans.  

To mark International Translation Day, hear readings and a discussion on Irish poetry and translation. This event was a part of the "Women and Literature" series by the Embassy of Ireland in Latvia, in partnership with Literature Ireland and the National Library of Latvia, where the event took place. This panel discussion ...

As a special episode,  listen to an interview with author Claire Keegan and her Argentinian (Spanish language) translator, Jorge Fondebrider. Sinéad Mac Aodha moderates.

The discussion touches on Claire's latest novel, Small Things Like These; the beginnings of stories; the practice of writing fiction; translation and the relationship between author and translator.

"...It begins when you make an incisio...

The Rules of Revelation, from Cork to Korea. Lisa McInerney reads a section of her third novel, The Rules of Revelation, an extract titled 'Cork is a male kind of place.'  Lisa is joined by Inhwi Jin, who reads her newly-commissioned Korean translation. This episode is in celebration of Brigid's Day in Ireland and the Lunar New Year, connecting Ireland and Korea.

For each episode of 'Talking Translation...

Danielle McLaughlin reads a section of her debut novel, The Art of Falling. Danielle is joined by Giovanna Granato, who reads her newly-commissioned Italian translation.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator to read their work aloud. It is our hope to share these stories with listeners around the world, heard in languages where the a...

Michelle Gallen reads a section of her novel Big Girl, Small Town. Michelle is joined by Clara Ministral who reads her Spanish translation.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator to read their work aloud. It is our hope to share these stories with listeners around the world, heard in languages where the author may not yet  be widely p...

Lucy Caldwell reads her as-yet unpublished short story, 'Fiction'.  Lucy is joined by Polish translator Agnieszka Pokojska, who reads her translation.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator to read their work aloud. It is our hope to share these stories with listeners around the world, heard in languages where the author may...

Adrian Duncan reads from his novel A Sabbatical in Leipzig. Adrian is joined by Marie Hermet, who reads her French translation from her home in Paris.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator to read their work aloud. It is our hope to share these stories with listeners around the world, heard in languages where the author may not yet ...

For this Irish language episode, a portion of Mo Bhealach Féin by Seosamh Mac Grianna is read by Damien Ó Dónaill. Micheál Ó hAodah reads from his translation into English, recently published by Lilliput Press as This Road of Mine.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator to read their work aloud. It is our hope to share these stories w...

John O'Donnell reads the title story from his recent short story collection, Almost the Same Blue, published by Doire Press (2020). He is joined by celebrated Croatian translator Mia Pervan.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator to read their work aloud. It is our hope to share these stories with listeners around the world, hear...

Sara Baume reads an unpublished essay, 'Wisdom', a warm reflection on life in lockdown. Writer and poet Inga Gaile reads a Latvian translation, which she co-translated with Ilmārs Šlāpins.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator to read their work aloud. It is our hope to share these stories with listeners around the world, h...

Rosemary Jenkinson reads a short story, 'Two People Shorten the Road,' from her collection Lifestyle Choice 10mg published by Doire Press. Tina Mahkota reads her Slovenian translation of the story from her home in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator to read their work aloud. It is our hope to share th...

Kevin Barry reads a short story, 'Who's-Dead McCarthy,' from his collection That Old Country Music which is published today in the USA. Kevin is joined by German translator Bernhard Robben, who just translated Barry's Beatlebone.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator to read their work aloud. It is our hope to sha...

Niamh Campbell reads chapters from her debut novel, This Happy, from her home in Dublin. She is joined by Spanish translator Regina López Muñoz, who reads her translation from Madrid. This Happy was published in June 2020 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson; in July 2020, Niamh Campbell won the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award for 'Love Many'.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a s...

Rónán Hession reads chapters from his debut novel, Leonard and Hungry Paul, from his home in Dublin. He is joined by Inger Johansson, who reads her Swedish translation.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator to read their work aloud. It is our hope to share these stories with listeners around the world, heard in languages where the au...

Caoilinn Hughes reads chapters from her new novel, The Wild Laughter, from her home in Connemara, in the West of Ireland. She is joined by Clara Ministral, who reads her Spanish translation from Madrid.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator to read their work aloud. It is our hope to share these stories with listeners around the worl...

Kevin Barry reads a brand-new short story, Toronto and the State of Grace, from his forthcoming collection That Old Country Music. This is a special preview ahead of the book launch next week, on October 15th in Ireland and the UK. Kevin is joined by his longtime Dutch translator, Auke Leistra.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator t...

Cathy Sweeney reads her short story 'Blue' from her debut collection, Modern Times, and Jerzy Kozłowsky reads his translation into Polish. Modern Times was first published by the Stinging Fly Press in March 2020, and published by Orion Books in the UK in July.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator to read their work aloud. ...

Colum McCann reads excerpts from his novel Apeirogon from New York, and Sawsan Obeid reads her translation into Arabic from Chicago. Apeirogon is McCann's seventh novel, published by Bloomsbury in the UK & Ireland in February 2020. It has been longlisted for the Booker Prize 2020.

For each episode of 'Talking Translations' we have paired a story with a language, and asked the author and translator to rea...