‘I view translation as a relationship to the world, to life’
Translation House Looren and the Centre de traduction littéraire de Lausanne are joint recipients of the 2019 Swiss Special Prize for Literature Promotion.
The Swiss Special Prize for Literature Promotion honours outstanding dedication to Swiss literature and its access to audiences, and comes with a purse of 40,000 Francs. This year, it goes to the Centre de traduction littéraire de Lausanne (CTL) and Translation House Looren. The two institutions have worked hard for the recognition of literary translation. Irene Weber Henking, head of the CTL (right) and Gabriela Stöckli, head of Translation House Looren, reflect on this development and talk about their visions for the future.
The Centre de traduction littéraire at the University of Lausanne (CTL), which you run, celebrates its thirtieth anniversary in 2019. What changes have you seen in the field of literary translation?
Prof. Irene Weber Henking, head of the CTL: There have been important changes. Literary translators have become better known by the general public. The creative dimension of their work is acknowledged now. Aside from that, a whole training system has been established in Switzerland, from basic training to further education for experienced translators. Twenty years ago, people thought everyone in this country was bilingual or even multilingual, so translation was nothing special. Now we know that’s not the case. And translators have developed a stronger awareness for the significance of their role on the literary market.
The CTL has played a key role in that recognition of literary translation. What marks it out?
I.W.H.: The CTL is the first institution in Switzerland that took on a bridge function between the various parties in the translation world: writers, translators, publishers, readers, scholars, literary festivals. We took on the role of a ferryman. I don’t like using that metaphor for translators, but the CTL really has played that role. And we started out at a time when no one was interested in translation. These days, we work with a broad network of partners, without which we couldn’t carry out our activities. We’re still the only institute at university level in Switzerland that offers training for literary translators. We cover ten languages in a variety of combinations. Incidentally, I don’t know any other programme that includes such a large range of different languages.
The CTL’s position is special; it’s part of both the University of Lausanne and the literary scene. Is that its strength?
I.W.H.: That dual anchor can sometimes slow down decision-making, but for us it is above all a strength. We profit from the support we get from the academic world and we also reach a large audience. We organize regular readings outside of the university, which gives writers and translators an opportunity to meet their readers – an ideal addition to teaching translation theory on campus. That’s another way in which we bridge a gap. We can also put translators and students into contact quickly and easily with specialists on language and literature, who can answer their questions on writing in Hindi, Latin, Italian or German.
What does this Swiss Special Prize for Literature Promotion mean, which the CTL is being awarded jointly with Translation House Looren?
I.W.H.: It’s official recognition for our work, which happens under very constrained financial conditions in French-speaking Switzerland. The prize is a reward for our dedication – not just the people who have worked on the small CTL team over the years, but also the translators who have worked with us. Over thirty years, some 500 translators have led workshops, held talks or taken part in readings. When it comes to Translation House Looren, we were very pleased to hear it was being set up. At last we’d get the place for concentrated working that we’d been lacking. Our activities complement each other very well and we work together regularly. The joint award makes us very happy. The prize shows we’ve succeeded in building a nationwide network for literary translation. It acknowledges our raison d’être and encourages us to keep up the good work.
What points still need improving, in your view?
I.W.H.: We need to keep focusing on translator visibility; what we’ve achieved isn’t yet firmly established. There’s also plenty to do in the field of translation criticism in the media. Critics confuse the translator’s style with the writer’s style far too often, and we know very little about the history of translation, which is so central for Swiss literature. Aside from that, translation out of and into Italian needs more support, be it via publishers or a new award. We have to create a linguistic balance, but without restricting ourselves to the four national languages. Switzerland has a great range of literary voices. That comes about thanks to translation, but it’s not limited to the four official languages.
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Gabriela Stöckli, you’ve been running Translation House Looren since it was founded in 2005. Do you agree with Irene Weber Henking’s assessment on the visibility of literary translation? Have you seen the same improvements since you’ve been at Looren?
Dr. Gabriela Stöckli, Managing Director of Translation House Looren: Yes, literary translation has made clear gains in visibility, interest in it has increased a great deal. One specific example: We organize all our events (readings, discussions, etc.) in conjunction with partners. To begin with, it was difficult to find venues interested in holding events related to translation or with translators. That has changed quite radically. Now, organizers know that discussions on translation and statements by translators are enlightening contributions to our understanding of literary creation and cultural dialogue.
What does Translation House Looren contribute to this greater visibility?
G.S.: We’ve always devoted the main part of our energy to strategic partnerships, with the aim of enhancing recognition and visibility for translators’ work. For us, collaborations with similar institutions like the CTL are essential, and we’re very pleased to be honoured with this special prize jointly with them.
Visibility is related to public perception and acknowledgement of the profession, but it’s also a first step towards better working conditions. That makes our work with professional associations very important. We also work with publishers and international institutions and are part of a European network of translation houses.
From 2009 to 2012, the Swiss cultural foundation Pro Helvetia ran the ‘Moving Words’ programme, which expanded the reach of Swiss literature internationally, something we also promote, and also supported Swiss translators more strongly. That resulted in an efficient and lasting collaboration.
You provide a temporary home for translators from all kinds of languages. Was that linguistic openness planned from the very beginning?
G.S.: It’s more a consequence of us not restricting our guests’ origins. We’re free to make that kind of decision as a private institution, even though we receive public funding. We’ve received a lot of international recognition for it. Above all, though, our core goal is to provide direct support for translators from all over the world – through grants for our guests, who work in all kinds of language combinations, but also through further training in the form of workshops.
How do you see the future of literary translation and your work?
G.S.: I think translation will continue to play a major role in the future. Cultural dialogue, and the need for that dialogue, will become ever more important. The passion, the careful work and patience needed to find good linguistic and cultural solutions in translation are valuable qualities. The transition from one language to another will increasingly become a general experience in the globalized world, more and more people will adopt a translator’s position. I view translation as a relationship to the world, to life.
In terms of our projects: Five years ago, we launched Latin American and Italian programmes, ‘Looren America Latina’ and ‘Laboratorio italiano’, and we’ll be continuing both. In 2017 we started a programme for emerging translators in conjunction with the CTL and involving several universities, and also ‘Traversadas litteraras’, a Rhaeto-Romanic programme for translation and multilingual writing. We’re also intensifying our relations with the other Swiss language regions. For instance, this coming spring we’ll enable five translators to stay a month at Château de Lavigny (VD) for the first time.
Interview: Nathalie Garbely
Translated from German by Katy Derbyshire
Photo: Maurice Haas