News

Report from 1st AGM, Copenhagen, October 2018

On 26th October 2018, DELT held its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) followed by a panel discussion and informal dinner at Dansk Forfatterforening‘s beautiful baroque premises in Christianshavn, Copenhagen.

At the meeting, the Constitution was ratified and signed by the formally elected first Committee. We thank Gyldendal for contributing bubbly for toasting the official founding of DELT.

DELT committee
DELT’s First Committee (left to right): Sinéad Quirke Køngerskov (co-Secretary), Lin Falk van Rooyen (Events), Paul Russell Garrett (Treasurer), John Mason (co-Secretary), Ellen Kythor (Chair)

The AGM covered finances, strategy, events, and future potential projects including a proposal for an independent DELT publication. (Members can read the full AGM Minutes in the website’s Members’ Area.)

Following the formal AGM and a quick break for coffee (during which members enjoyed Sinéad’s delicious vegan Guinness cake!), a panel discussion on the topic ‘No Translator is an Island’ was opened by DELT events coordinator Lin Falk van Rooyen, prefaced with a round of introductions from all attendees, including a brief mention of members’ current translation projects.

Ably moderated by Lin, established literary translators and DELT members, Martin Aitken and Misha Hoekstra, shared their (rather different!) day-to-day working practices with the audience, including insights into the ways in which professional relationships with colleagues, authors, and publishers have been maintained from their respective ‘lonely’ desks in Denmark. Following Misha and Martin’s lively exchange the discussion was opened to the floor for questions.

Dinner in the same venue was informal and convivial, enabling members to network and lively discussion continued including topics arising from the meeting and panel. Attendees enjoyed Govinda’s tasty vegan buffet, arranged by Sinéad and Paul. A die-hard group pitched in with the dishes and and clearing up afterwards that provided ample opportunity for laughter and building friendships!

Ellen Kythor welcomes attendees to the AGM
  • report by Ellen Kythor (DELT Chair) and Lin Falk van Rooyen (DELT events coordinator)

21 DELT members attended. Meeting attendees (alphabetical by first name): Anna Halager, Annette David, Ellen Kythor, Fiona Harris, Ian Giles, John Mason, Katrine Øgaard Jensen, Larry Morlan, Lin Falk van Rooyen, Martin Aitken, Michael Goldman, Misha Hoekstra, Nina Sokol, Paul Larkin, Paul Russell Garrett, Phillip Sheils, Sherilyn Hellberg, Sinéad Quirke Køngerskov, Solvej Todd, Tam McTurk, and Thom Satterlee.

Photo credits: Lin Falk van Rooyen, Paul Russell Garrett, Ian Giles, Ellen Kythor, Sinéad Quirke Køngerskov

We are grateful for assistance from the Danish Arts Foundation’s Networking Fund (pulje for oversætternetværk) to host this event.

Babelfisken interview

DELT’s co-secretaries Sinéad Quirke Køngerskov and John Mason were interviewed by Juliane Wammen for Babelfisken:

“…i forbindelse med årets Bogforum holder netværket DELT (Association [of] Danish-English Literary Translators) stiftende generalforsamling og konsoliderer sig som en mellemting mellem oversætternetværk og litterært agentur. Babelfisken har spurgt to af DELT’s bestyrelsesmedlemmer […] om baggrunden for oprettelsen af netværket, og hvad håbet med det er på længere sigt.”

Full article (in Danish): DELT glæde ved dansk litteratur: Nyt netværk for oversættere til engelsk

AGM and Dinner, 26 October 2018

We are thrilled that so many DELT members have responded to confirm their attendance at our first AGM, to be held in Copenhagen on the afternoon of Friday 26th October 2018. The AGM part of the meeting will be followed by an engaging and informative panel discussion on the topic ‘No Translator is an Island’, after which we will enjoy a convivial, informal dinner and a toast to DELT’s future.

Programme

  • Welcome

  • AGM (Agenda below)

  • Coffee

  • Panel/Speakers (Outline below)

  • Dinner

AGM Agenda

1. Statement of the purpose of the Founding AGM and on the formation of DELT

2. Election of a member to chair the meeting and another to write the minutes

3. Motion to declare and adopt DELT’s Constitution

4. Motion to elect DELT’s Founding Committee as DELT’s First Committee

5. Founding Chair’s report

6. Founding Treasurer’s report

7. DELT’s current projects:

  • publication ideas

  • strategy ideas

  • future events

  • mentorship/skills/CPD

8. AOB

Panel Discussion

Topic: ‘No Translator is an Island’

Panellists: Martin Aitken and Misha Hoekstra

Moderator: Lin Falk van Rooyen, DELT Committee

Martin Aitken and Misha Hoekstra have translated an impressive list of prize-winning books by internationally acclaimed Danish authors including Peter Høeg, Dorthe Nors, Helle Helle, Ida Jessen and Kim Leine. Their translations have appeared with renowned anglophone publishers like Archipelago and Graywolf Press in the United States and Pushkin Press and Vintage in the United Kingdom. Misha is a professional musician and Martin holds a PhD in linguistics; both highly respected translators now live in Denmark yet came to our profession from such different angles on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Drawing on their vast and varied experience in translation, we will discuss the multi-faceted challenges involved in the business of literary translation, which – perhaps paradoxically – is essentially practised alone.

The questions that the panellists will be discussing include:

– What challenges does the solo translator face in the day-to-day business of translation?

– How can we tackle the loneliness our profession?

– How can we approach the challenge of networking and creating and maintaining independent contacts with publishers on the UK/US market?

DELT members can contribute with questions they would like the panel to address on this topic via the DELT Facebook Group.

Dinner and wine to toast will conclude the afternoon/evening’s events.

First AGM – save the date

We are excited to announce that planning for DELT’s first AGM is underway. A talk/discussion panel and a social dinner will be held following the AGM in celebration of our first year.

The Founding AGM of the Association for Danish-English Literary Translators (DELT) will take place on Friday 26 October 2018, 3pm (AGM followed by guest speaker/s and dinner) in central Copenhagen. Dinner will be subsidised (other expenses for attendees unfortunately cannot be covered on this occasion).

RSVP to confirm your attendance and for venue details by Thursday 20 September 2018 (please advise of any dietary requirements): members@danishtranslation.org

Agenda and full programme to follow.

Report from DELT Launch and Translation Slam, London, 12 April 2018

On 12 April 2018 the Association of Danish to English Literary Translators (DELT) was formally launched at the Danish Embassy in London. DELT founding Chair Ellen Kythor presented the new DELT Constitution (PDF) written by the new founding committee. Listen to Ellen’s five-minute introduction to the meeting – which includes a brief history of DELT – here:

 

Our guest speaker, translator Rosalind Harvey, shared her experience of the launch and operation of the Emerging Translators Network (ETN).

A group of 16 enthusiastic literary translators took part in our first ever Danish Translation Slam!

The slam was organized as a mini-workshop wherein three groups compared their individually prepared draft translations of Janne Teller’s KOM, Maren Uthaug’s HVOR DER ER FUGLE and Jonas T. Bengtsson’s SUS with the aim of creating a collaborative translation excerpt of these works. The resulting translation excerpts can be downloaded and read here (PDF). Much fun was had by all and we look forward to arranging similar events in the future and seeing you all there!

  • by Lin Falk van Rooyen (translator and DELT committee member)

Meeting attendees (alphabetical by first name): Anna Halager, Bruce Thomson, David Young, Ellen Kythor, Fiona Harris, Hans Christian Andersen, Ian Giles, John Mason, Larry Morlan, Lin Falk van Rooyen, Liz Stephens, Misha Hoekstra, Paul Larkin, Paul Russell Garrett, Peter Sean Woltemade, Philip Curry, Solvej Todd.

Photos credits: Ian Giles and Paul Russell Garrett

Many thanks to the Danish Embassy in London for hosting. Click here for the Danish Embassy’s Facebook post about our meeting.

DELT Founding Committee

Following a year as a ‘working committee’ (April 2017- April 2018), the Founding Committee of DELT has been established with the following roles:

  • Ellen Kythor (Chair)
  • Paul Russell Garrett (Treasurer)
  • John Mason (Co-Secretary)
  • Sinead Quirke (Co-Secretary)
  • Lin Falk van Rooyen (Events and Networking Officer)

The Founding Committee will be in place for another year and will work to strengthen the future of DELT, receive and manage the association’s funds, and organise events. Future projects include the Danish Review/Books Bulletin (blog/magazine written by members). DELT Committee members will stand for re-election at the AGM as per the inaugural DELT Constitution.

DELT Meeting, April 2018, London

We are pleased to invite you to the launch of the Association of Danish-English Literary Translators (DELT) that will coincide with the Book Fair in London in April.

Date/Time: Thursday, 12 April 2018, 9:30 – 12:30

Place: The Danish Embassy, 55 Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 9SR

At the meeting our current chair, Ellen Kythor, will present an overview of DELT activities. This will be followed by a discussion of the future aims and ambitions of the organisation, an address by our guest speaker, Rosalind Harvey (Topic: ‘But isn’t it all just subjective?’) and an opportunity to network, which will be initiated by an informal translation slam: we have selected short extracts (ca 200 – 300 words) from three wonderful contemporary Danish novels (Maren Uthaug’s Hvor der er fugle, Jonas T. Bengstsson’s Sus and Janne Teller’s Kom) and attendees will be invited to prepare a draft translation of one of these extracts in advance of the meeting.

DELT will be applying for funding to cover attendees’ travel and accommodation expenses. Information on how to RSVP has been emailed to DELT members and posted on the Google+ Community – if you would like to attend but have not received these details, please contact us via email at DELTCommittee@gmail.com

DENT becomes DELT

The Danish-English Network of literary Translators (DENT) has been renamed the association of Danish-English Literary Translators (DELT) in order to emphasise the creative, literary focus of its members. The rebrand is timely now at the start of 2018 when the working committee has been active over the last year formally establishing the network as an association with a formal committee.

DELT is an independent non-profit association, aiming to further the interests of literary translators from Danish to English, and actively build links with relevant cultural organisations, publishers, and other translators’ groups. We intend to hold at least two meetings for members per year, and our next full meeting where we will confirm our new structure and committee will coincide with London Book Fair 2018.

This network for literary translators of Danish into English was established and developed by Ellen Kythor as part of her Impact PhD studentship co-sponsored by UCL (University College London) and The Danish Arts Council’s Committee for Literature (Statens Kunstråds Litteraturudvalg). In 2014, Ellen launched the website and Google+ Community for translators to network and establish their group identity.

DENT working committee

A ‘working committee’ of 6 DENT members has come together following the meeting in London in March. The working committee will meet in Denmark in mid June 2017 to agree the following pressing issues to strengthen the future of DENT:
– a group constitution
– how to receive and manage funds

and to discuss more fully:
– events calendar
– ‘Danish Books Bulletin’ (ie. a regular DENT blog/magazine written by members)

Once the working committee has proposals, aspects will be shared with all DENT members to discuss and agree where applicable. The timeframe for this whole futureproofing project is approximately a year.

Working committee members are: Ellen Kythor, John Mason, Kerri Pierce, Lin Falk van Rooyen, Paul Russell Garrett and Sinead Quirke.