Ellinor Broman: "I am planning to write an essay about Barcelona as a city of comics"

Ellinor Broman, literary translator from Catalan and Spanish into Swedish and owner of a small publishing house of Spanish comics in Swedish, has had an enriching experience in Vil·la Joana, where she has developed her translation project of a graphic novel by Sebas Martín.

‘It’s a unique experience to be a resident at Vil·la Joana. It is a quiet place surrounded by nature, but you can easily go down to Barcelona and enjoy the cultural life of the city’, says Broman about her stay. This environment has allowed her to concentrate on the translation of Martín’s graphic novel Que el fin del mundo nos encuentre bailando, set in the Raval and Poblenou of the 1930s.

The evolution of the project has been remarkable over the course of the stay thanks to the direct interaction with the author. ‘I was lucky enough to be able to see Martín to solve my translation problems. Together we went around Poblenou, where he showed me the emblematic buildings that appear in the work and other places in the neighbourhood that have served as inspiration for his drawings’, explains Broman. This process of learning in situ has deeply enriched her understanding of the historical and cultural context of the work.

In addition to the meetings with the author, Broman followed a literary route through the Raval proposed by Barcelona Ciutat de la Literatura, which gave her a broader perspective on the scenes of the story. ‘It was very beneficial to be able to see and learn more about the places where the work takes place’, she remarks.

During her stay, Broman has had the opportunity to interact with other writers and translators, which has been very positive for her work. ‘At the Sant Jordi lunch I met three writers I have translated or am translating: Eva Baltasar, Carme Riera and Sebas Martín. Moreover, I met Meritxell Salvany and Carolina Moreno, two translators from Swedish into Catalan with whom I work professionally’, she explains. These connections have facilitated her professional contact and enriched her experience in Vil·la Joana.

Cultural activities have been an important part of her residency. ‘I was able to attend various ‘Diàlegs de Sant Jordi’, discussions between writers in different libraries. Sant Jordi’s Day was an extraordinary experience with all the writers signing and the streets full of people with books and roses. I also visited Palau de la Generalitat, which was open to the public that day,’ Broman explains enthusiastically.

What’s more, her last weekend in Barcelona coincided with the Còmic Barcelona festival, an essential event for a comic lover like her. ‘I went to the festival to see what the publishers had to offer and to meet some comic publishers and authors,’ she explains.

Reflecting on her literary residence, Broman encourages other writers and translators to take advantage of these opportunities. ‘It’s always good to get to know the authors you translate; it makes professional contact easier,’ she says. Her immediate project is to write an essay on ‘Barcelona ciutat de còmics’, which will deal with the comic industry in the city and how it has been portrayed in comics. This essay will be published in a Swedish magazine.

For more information about the literary residencies Vil·la Joana, click this link.