The translators into French are Arlette Ounanian, Bertrand Abraham (moderator), Mireille Cohendy, Monique Nagielkopf, Myriam Giraud and Vaidehi Nota. David Colmer (moderator), Laura Watkinson, Michele Hutchison, Rhian Heppleston and Rosalind Buck will translate into English.
The FLF is hoping that this workshop will provide an answer to the shortage of graphic novel translators. The number of requested translation grants for graphic novels has increased substantially since 20 Flemish comic artists were guests-of-honour at the international comics festival of Angoulême. As is the case for all other genres, the FLF insists that the translation be done by professional literary translators. The workshop should familiarize the literary translators with this up-and-coming genre and lead to a network of graphic novel translators.
The workshop will revolve around two texts: ‘Ergens waar je niet wil zijn' (Somewhere you don't want to be) by Brecht Evens and ‘Slaapkoppen'(Sleepyheads) by Randall.C. The first text is about people who are attending parties but prefer to be elsewhere. They use small-talk, colloquialisms and interruptions. Randall.C on the other hand uses very particular, poetic, absurd, literary language. A word tends to tell a complete story. Both texts are a definite challenge for a translator.
During the three-day workshop specialized journalists Gert Meesters and Geert De Weyer will give an introduction to the comic story and the graphic novel in particular, both in Flanders and abroad. The translators will also meet with Pieter Van Oudheusden, who has experience translating graphic novels into Dutch. The moderators will further be assisted by two native editors who will guide the translators: Paul Gravett for English and Thierry Tinlot for French. Last but not least, the translators will meet a few Flemish graphic novelists and visit the traveling exhibition ‘Ceci n'est pas la BD flamande', currently in Genk.
