[Herald Interview] LTI winners say they see ‘sisterhood’ between Korean and Korean American poets

E. J. Koh (left); Marci Calabretta Cancia-Bello speaks throughout a press convention held in central Seoul on Monday. (LTI Korea)

Acclaimed poet and translator Choi Don-mee linked two Korean American translators with Korean poet Yi Gained for the English translation of Yi’s poems, seeing the “sisterhood” between Korean poets and Korean-American poets, mentioned the 2 recipients of a translation award.

“(Choi Don-mee) had a imaginative and prescient of connecting Korean ladies poets and Korean American ladies poets to translate their poems,” poet-translator Marci Calabretta Cancia-Bello mentioned throughout a press convention held on Monday in Seoul for the winners of the 2022 Korea Translation Award organized by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea.

Cancia-Bello and writer-translator Koh Eun-ji, working underneath the pen title E. J. Koh, gained a grand prize for his or her English translation of poet Yi Gained’s “The World’s Lightest Motorbike.” The pair are amongst 4 grand prize winners.

“She noticed that many male authors’ works have been translated into English, however not very many by ladies and little or no poetry,” mentioned Cancia-Bello.

“The World’s Lightest Motorbike” by Yi Gained (proper) and the English translation by E. J. Koh and Marci Calabretta Cancia-Bello (LTI Korea)

In an interview with The Korea Herald, Cancia-Bello talked about how she and Koh labored collectively on Yi’s works.

“We labored individually for an preliminary translation, then we’d give one another every thing,” mentioned Cancia-Bello. “We needed to talk so much and we modified our minds so much. It took typically years and we might return and make completely different selections.”

She added that though it was a sluggish course of, it was easy and cooperative.

“The craft of poetry is completely different within the two languages,” Cancia-Bello mentioned. “And Choi as a mentor emphasised ‘accuracy’ so much — not simply the literal that means of the traces, but additionally the wordplay, rhythm, even visually.”

Cancia-Bello recalled that the toughest half was the “poetic leap,” which Choi believed solely poets may make within the act of translation.

“However I hope (Yi Gained) is happy with our work,” Cancia-Bello mentioned, hinting that the poet gave the pair her subsequent ebook for translation. “I feel she needed to respect the truth that she was not rewriting the poem in English however needed to see what we’d do, and join with English readers in a brand new approach.” The pair will proceed to translate Korean poems, Cancia-Bello mentioned.

In an e-mail interview with The Korea Herald, Koh mentioned Yi’s recommendation — “Yet another viewpoint is like having extra eyes” — stayed together with her through the mission. “(She) offers her college students extra eyes, specializing in having her college students create new views.”

Koh added that her debut novel “The Liberators” is scheduled for launch subsequent fall. Previously few years, she has been writing poems, a memoir and a screenplay for Apple TV’s “Pachinko.” She can be engaged on a libretto for an opera adaptation of filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s “The Handmaiden.”

Following the discharge of “The World’s Lightest Motorbike,” Cancia-Bello gave lectures on translation in a number of US faculties and universities.

“I want I had had courses like that as a pupil, with a ebook the place the Korean is subsequent to the English, like Zephyr Press,” she mentioned. “Conversations with college students have been actually treasured as a result of there was a lot pleasure and humility too,” she mentioned. “It was actually particular to be invited as a translator and see college students who’re placing their artistic abilities not for themselves however for the sake of different writers and readers.”

Ilngliana Tan, translator of Jeong You-jeong’s “Seven Years of Darkness” into Indonesian (LTI Korea)

One other winner of the grand prize is Ilngliana Tan for her translation of Jeong You-jeong’s “Seven Years of Darkness” into Indonesian. The ebook was additionally made into a movie in 2018 starring Ryu Seung-ryong and Jang Dong-gun.

As a contract translator working primarily with Gramedia Pustaka Utama, a publishing home in Indonesia, Tan mentioned she was typically not happy with the subtitles when she was first launched to the world of Ok-pop and Ok-drama 20 years in the past.

“I typically questioned what the characters within the dramas have been actually speaking about,” Tan mentioned. “That’s what motivated me to begin studying Korean myself.”

Tan additionally translated Jeong’s first ebook to be launched in Indonesia, “The Good Son,” and Jeong rapidly turned Tan’s favourite writer.

“I used to be completely delighted that I used to be entrusted as soon as once more to translate her work,” she mentioned. “I’m fascinated by the detailed descriptions of Jeong’s books. The world and characters she created inside the story all the time set off my creativeness and felt so actual.”

Tan added that ever because the publication of Cho Nam-ju’s “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982,” which turned one of many bestselling titles in Indonesia, ebook lovers within the nation have been giving a hotter reception to extra Korean books.

In the meantime, Yu Hsin Hsin gained a grand prize for her Chinese language translation of Lee Tae-jun and 7 different writers within the “Anthology of Korean Literature (2).”

This yr, the LTI Korea awarded 4 translators underneath newly revised judging standards.

By Hwang Dong-hee (hwangdh@heraldcorp.com)