Cultures in Translation Review
16 June 2010
Cultures in Translation an event Celebrating Irish and German voices in Children’s Literature with Siobhán Parkinson, Laureate na nÓg took place in the Goethe Institut on Thursday 10th June 2010. The event comprised a presentation by Emer O’Sullivan, Professor of English Literature at the Institute of English Studies at Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany and readings and discussion with Little Island authors Renate Ahrens and Burkhard Spinnen and Siobhán Parkinson. The event was chaired by Ciara Ní Bhroin, iBbY Committee Member.
Ciara opened by commenting on the persistent imbalance of cultural exchange between countries that largely import and countries that largely export children’s books. Ciara posited that a truly international, as opposed to Globalised Children’s Literature is aspirational rather than actual, but expressed hope that Little Island’s newly launched German translations will help achieve a more international children’s book culture in Ireland. Ciara introduced speaker Emer O’Sullivan, Professor of English Literature at Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany. Emer has published widely in English and German. Her areas of interest include translation studies, comparative children’s literature studies and image studies.
The focus of Emer’s talk was German interest in and translation of Irish children’s books. Emer noted that German children’s literature market is receptive to translation. Between quarter and third of children’s literature in Germany is translated and one in five translations are from English books. Emer discussed the post-war German image of Ireland as unspoiled landscape populated with religious, non-materialistic, red-heads a bit fond of the drink, and how this image of Ireland and Irishness contributed to the selection and marketing of texts, citing the example of how Patricia Lynch’s Irishness was constantly emphasised on book jackets even up to the 1990s. However, Irishness is unlikely to be used in marketing successful contemporary Irish children’s books by authors such as Marin Waddell, Eoin Colfer, Darren Shan, Roddy Doyle and Siobhán Parkinson.
Emer then asked has Irishness disappeared from the cover and from between the pages of translated book? Citing examples from Sisters…No Way! by Siobhán Parkinson and Eoin Colfer’s Benny and Omar and Benny and Babe, Emer examined how culturally specific connotations can become lost in translation. Emer then discussed how Hiberno-English is represented in German translation. Hiberno-English can be employed to indicate a character’s provenance – urban or rural (Four Kids, Three Cats, Two Cows, One Witch (Maybe) by Siobhán Parkinson), to construct identity in a foreign country (Benny and Omar) and to indicate class difference (Sisters…No Way!). In general three strategies are used when translating non-standard varieties of language and dialects, neutralisation into standard forms, conversion into comparable dialects in target language and indication of deviation from standard language without attempting to suggest an alternative language form.
The panel, consisting of Emer, Renate Ahrens, author of Over the Wall, Burkhard Spinnen author of The Great Rabbit Revenge Plan, and Siobhán Parkinson then embarked on a lively discussion expertly lead by Ciara Ní Bhroin. Renate recounted the genesis of Over the Wall, a moving story of Karo who all her life believed her father dead so when a stranger appears at her door she wants nothing to do with him. Burkhard spoke of the advent of his own children and how this meant learning a new language far removed from the academic language he had been cultivating from half a lifetime spent working in a University. He realised how much he liked this language of short, simple sentences and using this new language he found himself doing something he had never intended on doing – writing a book for children. Siobhán then spoke of the pleasure and pitfalls of translating Over the Wall and The Great Rabbit Revenge Plan. Burkhard and Renate, both wonderful storytellers also treated us to entertaining and moving readings from their newly translated books.
IBbY Ireland would like to thank everyone who contributed to this stimulating evening, especially Emer O’Sullivan for her engaging presentation, the panellists, Emer, Siobhán, Burkhard and Renate for such an interesting and entertaining discussion and readings, Ciara for chairing the event, Monika Schlenger and the Goethe Institut for hosting the event and providing refreshments and New Island for all their work in organising the night.
