From having the spark of an idea to putting your thoughts on paper and pitching to a publisher, writing a book is not for the faint of heart. Writing in a foreign language is an even more challenging endeavour that, quite understandably, not many authors undertake. In this article, we showcase some of the few writers who have penned works in a second language and outline how First Edition Translations helps authors reach new readerships and share their story with the world. For practical advice, you can always email our team or check out our book translation tips.
Jacques Lusseyran
In the mere 46 years he lived, Lusseyran was many things – a political activist and member of the resistance under Nazi occupation, a detainee under the Gestapo, a concentration camp survivor, and later a writer and lecturer of French literature and philosophy at numerous institutions. What makes his story even more remarkable is that he navigated his experiences blind after losing his sight as a child. He put his journey to paper in his native tongue of French in the autobiography Et la lumière fut, which was published in 1953.
In the mere 46 years he lived, Lusseyran was many things – a political activist and member of the resistance under Nazi occupation, a detainee under the Gestapo, a concentration camp survivor, and later a writer and lecturer of French literature and philosophy at numerous institutions. What makes his story even more remarkable is that he navigated his experiences blind after losing his sight as a child. He put his journey to paper in his native tongue of French in the autobiography Et la lumière fut, which was published in 1953.
After leaving his homeland for the US, where he taught as an associate and later as a full professor, Lusseyran decided to tell his story in English too. Rather than tasking a translator, Lusseyran – himself a polyglot – decided to take matters into his own hands. The result was And There Was Light, published in 1985. Although the title is a direct translation of the French original, the English version deviates greatly from the French, with information added in for the benefit of the US readership.
Samuel Beckett
A renowned Irish novelist, playwright and poet, Beckett moved to France in the late 1930s and – much like Jacques Lusseyran – joined the resistance movement, with his efforts later recognised with a Resistance Medal. In terms of his written works, of which there are many, Beckett composed in both English and French. His perhaps most well-known work is the tragicomedy En attendant Godot, which he originally wrote in his second language of French and later reworked in his mother tongue of English, giving rise to Waiting for Godot. Indeed, Beckett had a period of writing primarily in the French language. This was a deliberate choice, with the writer stating this made him write without style in a minimalist and direct manner.
Jhumpa Lahiri
Born in England to Bengali parents and raised in the United States, Lahiri is novelist and short-story writer with many accolades to her name, including a National Humanities Medal, the Asian American Literary Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Seeking a challenge, Lahiri set sail for Rome and wrote her memoir In altre parole (In Other Words) in Italian – a language that had long since fascinated her. Lahiri’s third novel, Dove mi trovo, was also originally written in Italian. Three years later, her self-translation into English was released under the title Whereabouts.
Eva Hoffman
Born in Kraków in the summer of 1945, Eva Hoffman was the daughter of Jewish parents hailing from Ukraine. Later aged 13, as the 1950s were drawing to a close and the Cold War continued on, Hoffman left Poland together with her family in search of a better life in North America. There Hoffmann went on to obtain a Ph.D. in English and American literature, after which she became a professor of literature and creative writing at various institutions.
In 1989, Hoffman wrote her memoir Lost in Translation: A Life in a New Language in English. The book recounts Hoffman’s childhood in post-war Poland, her emigration to Canada and her initiation into the local language and culture. As the book goes on, the author shares her thoughts on bilingualism, how language shapes our perception, and the struggles of feeling caught between two worlds. It was only six years later that the publication was made available in Hoffman’s native Polish following a translation by Michał Ronikier.
No need to get tongue-tied
If you’ve written a book and would like to share your story with a wider audience, fear not – you don’t need to get the bilingual dictionary out. That is precisely where we come in. First Edition is a long-standing certified translation provider with, as our name suggests, a core focus on literary and editorial content.
We offer a wide range of services for the translation, editing, proofreading and typesetting of publications. Fiction, non-fiction, audiobooks or eBooks – we’ve done it all. We cover a wide range of languages, collaborating with vetted professional linguists. We’ve had the privilege of collaborating with many a publisher – including Arcturus Publishing, Bolinda, Cambridge University Press, DK, Octopus and the Orion Publishing Group – and have even secured some awards along the way. We also work directly with individual authors and poets who are keen to bolster their status on the literary market.
If you are interested in our book translation services, you can email our friendly and multilingual project management team at enquiries@firstedit.co.uk to find out more. We are always happy to advise you on the next steps and issue no-obligation quotes.
