Translating Hispanic Literatures in the UK: a conversation with publishers

The Instituto Cervantes, the official Spanish Government Centre, is a public institution founded in 1991 to promote Spanish language teaching and knowledge of the cultures of Spanish speaking countries throughout the world.

Instituto Cervantes Manchester

Join us in celebrating International Translation Day 2025 with a conversation on publishing foreign literature in the UK

To mark International Translation Day, we invite you to a roundtable discussion exploring the role of translation in bringing global literature to English-speaking audiences. Thanks to the work of translators and publishers, readers can enjoy masterpieces of world literature and connect with stories, voices, and emotions from cultures far beyond their own.This session will focus on the translation of literature from Spanish, Catalan, Basque, and Galician, and will reflect on the broader challenges and opportunities of publishing translated works in the UK. Some of the participating publishers are based in Manchester, contributing to the city’s vibrant literary scene.We’ll be joined by:Tony Frazer from Shearsman Books, a poetry-focused press that publishes around 50 titles a year, including a significant number of works in translation, making it the UK’s largest publisher of poetry in translation.Jimena Gorráez from Daunt Books Publishing, an independent press known for literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, and modern classics, both in English and in translation.Michael Schmidt from Carcanet Press, a Manchester-based publisher with a world-class catalogue of modern and classic poetry in English and translation, including works from over 37 languages.Ra Page from Comma Press, also based in Manchester, known for its commitment to the short story form and its Reading the City series, which explores urban life through fiction in translation and their 'Futures Past' series has delivered ground-breaking anthologies of science fiction in translation from Palestine, Iraq, Kurdistan, among othersThanks to them, works by authors such as Luis de Góngora, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Federico García Lorca, Rosalía de Castro, Vicente Huidobro, César Vallejo, Alberto Manguel, Mariana Enríquez, Claudia Piñeiro, Nona Fernández, Brenda Navarro and Elisa Levi are within reach of any reader.The discussion will be informal and open to audience participation. Topics will include the translator’s role, editorial decision-making, market reception, and the cultural value of translated literature.This event is open to anyone interested in literature, translation, or the publishing industry—whether you're a reader, writer, translator, or simply curious.

Para conmemorar el Día Internacional de la Traducción, te invitamos a explorar, en esta mesa redonda, el papel de la traducción en la difusión de la literatura global entre los lectores de habla inglesa.Gracias al trabajo de traductores y editoriales, los lectores pueden disfrutar de obras maestras de la literatura universal y conectar con historias, voces y emociones de culturas muy distintas a la propia.Esta sesión se centrará en la traducción de literatura escrita en español, catalán, euskera y gallego, y reflexionará sobre los retos y oportunidades que implica publicar obras traducidas en el Reino Unido. Algunas de las editoriales participantes tienen sede en Mánchester, contribuyendo con ello al dinámico panorama literario de nuestra ciudad.Nos acompañarán:<ul><li>Tony Frazer, de Shearsman Books, editorial especializada en poesía que publica alrededor de 50 títulos al año, incluyendo una cantidad significativa de obras traducidas, lo que la convierte en la mayor editorial de poesía traducida del Reino Unido.</li><li>Jimena Gorráez, de Daunt Books Publishing, una editorial independiente reconocida por su ficción literaria, no ficción narrativa y clásicos modernos, tanto en inglés como en traducción.</li><li>Michael Schmidt, de Carcanet Press, editorial con sede en Mánchester que cuenta con un catálogo de poesía moderna y clásica de primer nivel, tanto en inglés como en traducción, incluyendo obras de más de 37 idiomas.</li><li>Ra Page, de Comma Press, también con sede en Mánchester, conocida por su compromiso con el relato breve y su serie Reading the City, que explora la vida urbana a través de la ficción traducida e incluye volúmenes dedicados a La Habana y Barcelona. Su serie Futures Past ha producido antologías innovadoras de ciencia ficción de países como Palestina, Irak, Kurdistán, entre otros.</li></ul>Gracias a ellos obras de autores como Luis de Góngora, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Federico García Lorca, Rosalía de Castro, Vicente Huidobro, César Vallejo, Alberto Manguel, Mariana Enríquez, Claudia Piñeiro, Nona Fernández, Brenda Navarro y Elisa Levi están al alcance de cualquier lector en este país.La conversación será informal y abierta a la participación del público. Se abordarán temas como el papel del traductor, la toma de decisiones editoriales, la recepción en el mercado y el valor cultural de la literatura traducida.Este evento está abierto a todas las personas interesadas en la literatura, la traducción o el mundo editorial—ya seas lector, escritor, traductor o simplemente tengas curiosidad.

Want to learn Spanish?<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TMfZ-MZuZM&amp;list=PLYQP8SLo8l1ozGyt-hbs0N-zVbwKUjlRr&amp;index=1" title="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TMfZ-MZuZM&amp;list=PLYQP8SLo8l1ozGyt-hbs0N-zVbwKUjlRr&amp;index=1" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Why learn Spanish at the Instituto Cervantes?</a>We have online and in-person language classes for all levels. <a href="https://manchester.cervantes.es/en/courses_spanish/spanish_courses.htm" title="https://manchester.cervantes.es/en/courses_spanish/spanish_courses.htm" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">See our schedule here</a>.

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Translating Hispanic Literatures in the UK: a conversation with publishers

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Translating Hispanic Literatures in the UK: a conversation with publishers

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