'Translating life': literature, complicity and activism at CCCB

From 18 to 20 November, Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) and PEN Català are organising the cycle ‘Translating Life’, a series of meetings where renowned international authors will talk to their Catalan translators. Curated by Andreu Gomila, these sessions will explore the intimate and often invisible link between writer and translator, delving into the task of translating experiences, values and stories that connect different cultures.

Petros Màrkaris, Denise Desautels and Vera Pàvlova are some of the invited authors, sharing reflections on their creative process and the art of bringing their works to the Catalan public. On 18 November, Màrkaris, a great contemporary storyteller and a leading figure in European crime novels, will talk to Quim Gestí, his translator into Catalan for over twenty years, about the relationship between his literary work and the craft of translation.

The second session, the following day, will feature Denise Desautels and Antoni Clapés. Desautels is one of the most important figures in contemporary Quebecois poetry, and Clapés is her translator into Catalan. They will talk about the literary links shared by their works.

Vera Pàvlova and Xènia Dyakonova will close the cycle on the 20th. Pàvlova, one of the most important poets in Russian literature, will talk with Dyakonova, a writer and translator, about her literary career and the influence of her work on later generations.

All three sessions will start at 6.30pm and tickets, priced at €3, can be bought in advance. All the information, here.

In the image, ‘Carmen Calvo. Veu Lliure Award Poster. PEN Català’.