Parallel Worlds: Translators Behind the Scenes

On the other side of every book in translation is a translator connecting the two different cultures, bringing not only the words of that parallel world into English, but also its thoughts, values, and viewpoints. In this series of discussions, we talk to translators of literary fiction, manga, genre fiction, and children’s literature to tease out the challenges and thrills of bringing a wide variety of Japanese works to English readers.

Parallel Worlds: Translating Manga from Japan

Date: Thursday, June 17, 2021
Time: 8:00 PM (EDT)
Panelists: David Evelyn and Jenny McKeon
Moderator: Jocelyne Allen

Jocelyne Allen (My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness, Remina) sits down with colleagues David Evelyn (Undead Unluck, Kaiju No. 8) and Jenny McKeon (Blank Canvas, Bloom Into You) to discuss the translation of manga across genres. How is translating a shonen title different from working on a yuri book? What is simulpub? Who decides what manga is released in English? These intrepid translators tackle a variety of thorny questions to explain exactly how your favourite series ends up on the shelves of your local bookstores.

Parallel Worlds: Translating Manga Workshop

Date: Thursday, June 24, 2021
Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (EDT)
Presenter and Facilitator: Jocelyne Allen

Join us on an in-depth dive into the nuts and bolts of translating manga. Participants will walk through the making of a manga script from start to finish and then have the opportunity to put what they’ve learned into practice by breaking into groups and translating a story themselves. We will consider broader issues such as context and audience, as well as more concrete challenges like sound effects, formatting, and linguistic pitfalls. This workshop will be conducted in English, but is intended for aspiring manga translators and other professionals, and participants must be able to read and understand Japanese.

Upcoming in this series;

Parallel Worlds: Translating Genre Fiction from Japan (Sci-fi, Mystery, Light Novels)

Date: August 2021

Parallel Worlds: Translating Literary Fiction from Japan

Date: October 2021

Parallel Worlds: Translating Children’s Literature from Japan (Picture Books, Young Adult, Jr. High)

Date: February 2022