Nights with a Dictionary: A Conversation with Japanese Literary Translator and Writer Polly Barton
Key information
- Date
- Time
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5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
- Venue
- Russell Square: College Buildings
- Room
- Khalili Lecture Theatre (KLT)
- Event type
- Event highlights
About this event
Speaker: Polly Barton
Abstract
This event is part of a series of conversations with artists who work in Japanese arts or are inspired by Japan. The aim is to explore artistic practice as research and to reflect on the ways in which academic and artistic production can build upon each other. In today’s event, the acclaimed writer and translator Polly Barton will talk about her experiences in Japan, the practice of translation and her process of writing. The talk will feature selected readings from her award-winning essay “Fifty Sounds” (Fitzcarraldo Editions).
Event recording
Speaker biography
Polly Barton is a Japanese literary translator. In 2019, she was awarded the Fitzcarraldo Essay Prize for her non-fiction debut Fifty Sounds (Fitzcarraldo Editions/Liveright). Her recent translations include, There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura (Bloomsbury, 2020), and So We Look to the Sky by Misumi Kubo (Arcade, 2021). In 2021, she won the World Fantasy Award for Best Collection for her translation of Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda (Tilted Axis Press/Soft Skull Press, 2020).
Organiser: SOAS Japan Research Centre
Contact: centres@soas.ac.uk
