Continuing the celebration of Women in Translation Month and taking advantage of the few days left in August, I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Chantal Wright, Professor of Creativity and the Language Industry at ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences and, none other than the founder of The Warwick Prize for Women in Translation, now coordinated by Holly Langstaff. And when I say "I had the pleasure..." I really mean that it was an honor and a privilege to chat with someone I personally admire greatly for her work, who is also incredibly kind.
For those who don’t know her, Chantal was born in Manchester, England, and she is a translator of literary and academic material from German and French into English. She is also the author of Literary Translation (Routledge, 2016), recipient of the inaugural Cliff Becker Book Prize in Translation (2012), and of a PEN/Heim Translation Fund grant (2009), among many other accolades.
I’m excited to share the delightful conversation we had a few days ago as part of the ProZ.com Women in Translation initiative and Women in Translation Month, where she talks about how the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation addresses a significant gender imbalance in the field, discusses how translation studies have evolved over the years, particularly with the increasing focus on gender and diversity, and shares some advice for women aspiring to enter the field of literary translation.
The interview
For more information about Chantal Wright, click here to visit her website and here to learn about her work as a professor at ZHAW Zurich University.
To learn more about The Warwick Prize for Women in Translation, visit the prize webpage. To see a full list of eligible entries to the 2024 prize, click here.
And don’t forget to spread the word and promote individual women writers in translation specifically. Share what you are reading and follow #WITMonth on Twitter, Instagram, Booktube, and across the world! Need other ideas to celebrate women in translation? Click here.
The ProZ.com Women in Translation initiative aims to empower, nurture, and support women in the language industry. It focuses on fostering collaboration, providing learning opportunities, and facilitating career development for women linguists. The initiative seeks to create a safe and supportive community where women can share experiences, gain insights, and develop their professional skills.
Interested in joining this initiative to support other women in the industry? Click here to contact the initiative's coordinator, Lucia Leszinsky.
