Press
Interview with Anna Holmwood
1. What have you been busy with lately?
At the moment I am working on book three of Jin Yong's LEGENDS OF THE CONDOR HEROES, as well as translating some fiction from Swedish. I am also working on my own creative project that I am hoping to find a publisher for, aimed at younger readers.
2. When did you begin literary translation, and what was the catalyst at the time?
I started working as a literary translator 8 years ago, while I was doing a master's degree at SOAS in Chinese Literature. I attended a workshop at the British Centre for Literary Translator with Yan Geling and renowned translator Nicky Harman. During the workshop, I was selected for one of the first British Centre for Literary Translator mentorships, during which I got to work with Nicky Harman for six months as my mentor. I started work on Ai Mi's UNDER THE HAWTHORN TREE, and Nicky's feedback and support were invaluable.
3. What qualities do you think a good translator should have?
To be a literary translator I think you need patience and a large dose of humility. I always say that the authors I translate are like my shifu 師傅. You need to be curious, always willing to learn from your mistakes and what others do well, to love your mother tongue as much as the language you translate out of, and to love reading anything and everything.
4. Who is (are) your favorite character(s) in The Legend of the Condor Heroes? Why?
I have a special fondness for the Seven Freaks of the South. I like the fact that they are flawed heroes, their pride often gets them in trouble but they want to do the right thing.
5. As a literary agent, can you please recommend the work of an as yet unknown UK/Swedish author to Chinese publishers? Compared to recommending a Chinese work to UK publishers, do you think there are any differences in terms of work method or technique?
Chinese publishers are already extremely good at finding books suitable for publication in China -- publishers are connected internationally like never before. As for some suggestions, I love the work of children's authors such as Ross Welford and Kiran Millwood Hargrave, for example. One of our authors at DKW Literary Agency, Sylvia Bishop, would be wonderful in Chinese translation -- she writes with warmth and humour about the kinds of problems that arise when an elephant lands on your door, or when your parents are concert pianists but you can't play the piano yourself!
Promoting Chinese literature abroad faces bigger obstacles, mainly because publishers in 99% of cases don't themselves read Chinese. The role of the translator is therefore extremely important, and often under-estimated. Excellent sample material, or even full translations, into English are costly but vital components. Every rights seller and agent should cultivate a team of translators they trust and work well with, because translators are your friends. Harnessing a translator's energy and enthusiasm can do a lot to help a work travel. I think more time has to be spent on establishing trust on all sides in order to sell work in a language the publisher doesn't read.
6. Artificial intelligence has made inroads into translation and copyright trading. Do you think technology can replace work done by humans in these two areas in the future?
I don't underestimate the power of AI to transform the work of literary translators or agents -- I think that it will be a question of working with it rather than insisting that it has no place in our field. Ultimately, the goal of translating literature is to open up communication between cultures and it is often claimed that it is too expensive to translate books. If AI opens up the door to more excellent quality translations then I'm not against it. Take a look at the world of animation. Technology has made animation work faster and more cost-effective, but it hasn't removed the need for skilled animators. In many ways, it has probably expanded the demand. I think as an industry it would be better for us to take a positive and inquisitive mind towards this and try to make technology work to support and improve our working practices.
Anna Holmwood will be speaking at the StoryDrive conference in Beijing (28 May - 1 June 2018).