One of the great crimes of contemporary book culture is the lack of attention we give to translations. Maybe two translations per year receive wall-to-wall coverage, but the rest get mentioned only on random long lists and niche blogs. This is a shame and a disservice—and not just to publishers and writers, but also to readers. The challenges of translating one language into another make for some of the most fascinating and revealing stories, raising fundamental questions of meaning and the possibility of actual connection with cultures other than our own. Some of those questions are bound to come up at the Northwest Literary Translators panel presentation on translating graphic novels and comics. Speakers include José Alaniz (who was instrumental in bringing Victoria Lomasko to town to talk about her incredible book of graphic journalism, Other Russias), Melissa Bowers, and Lola Rogers. Gary Groth, cofounder of Fantagraphics, will also join the conversation.
