ALTA is excited to present Write the World: A Day of Translation! Connect with translators and translation enthusiasts from across the globe. Get ready for this day of virtual panels on topics related to literary translation on May 21, 2024!
Registration opens today, Wednesday, April 10. Tickets are $15, which will grant you access to all the events of the day.
ALTA members get 20% off registration for Write the World. Members will receive their discount promo code via email on the morning of Wednesday, April 10. If you’re not an ALTA member but would like to receive this discount, join ALTA or renew your membership today.
The schedule for Write the World: A Day of Translation is below. For more information and to read the participant bios, visit this page.
A Palette of Languages: Translating into or from Non-Native Tongues, 7:00-8:15AM PT
Many translators have been told that one can only translate into one’s native language(s). In this panel, we’ll hear from translators who have contested this assertion, bravely ferrying literature from cultures and tongues they grew up with or later built deep connections with. What are the trajectories they’ve taken from wanting to work with these languages to actually doing it? What are the challenges and stereotypes faced by translators working across a palette of languages, including ones that aren’t their first? How and when do “accented translations” land as “bad or good” English, and why even label them? How can translators who work with non-native tongues foster a sense of community, and how can the translation world celebrate such remarkable contributions?
Moderator: Barbara Ofosu-Somuah
Panelists: Isabella Corletto, Nguyễn An Lý, Sonakshi Srivastava
What I Wish I’d Known: General Professional Advice for Translators, 9:00 – 10:15AM PT
Whether you’re publishing your first book or your tenth, this session is for you! This expert panel of editors, writers, and publicists will share their secrets on landing a book contract, then creating a buzz about your forthcoming title. We’ll discuss what to do during the all-important 3-4 months before publication, general marketing strategies, getting the most out of social media, getting your work reviewed, boosting sales, and winning post-publication prizes and awards. Special topics will include the differences in publishing in the UK vs the US, as well as publishing children’s books and poetry. Time will be reserved to answer your questions.
Moderator: Nancy Naomi Carlson
Panelists: Katie Freeman, Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp, Chad W. Post
AI Translation: Fears, Opportunities, and the Future, 11:00 AM – 12:15PM PT
Since the fall of 2022 when ChatGPT was released to the public, society has been inundated with information about what AI can do for you, and think pieces about how AI will destroy many a creative career. Every ad for Grammarly can feel like a nail in the coffin for working translators, yet there remains the possibility that large language models (LLM) could increase translation productivity and remove some of the tedious tasks from our lives. In this Q&A, journalist Timothy B. Lee will share his research on AI and discuss its various impacts on the world of both technical and literary translation.
Moderator: Chenxin Jiang
Panelist: Timothy B. Lee
What Publishers Want: How to Pitch, Present, and Promote Books, sponsored by SZBA, 1:00 – 2:15PM PT
Translators are often the first people to discover a compelling book in another language, but they may grapple with which steps they should take in order to pitch the project to a publisher. What should they present in order for the work to have the best chance of being accepted? And how should they best use their own networks to promote the work? In this panel, we talk with publishers about the process and how to help translators work with translation grants, build better publisher networks, and have better tools and strategies when reaching out to publishers.
Moderator: Erin L. Cox
Panelists: Michel Moushabeck, Laura K. Fish, John Siciliano