Jenny Erpenbeck and Translator Michael Hofmann Win International Booker Prize
The Washington Post (05/21/24) By Sophia Nguyen
Jenny Erpenbeck and her translator, Michael Hofmann, have won the 2024 International Booker Prize for her novel Kairos. Erpenbeck is the first German writer to win the award and Hofmann, who translated the novel into English, is the first male translator to win.
The prize is awarded each year to a long-form work of fiction translated into English and published in the U.K. or Ireland. This year’s jury chose Kairos from a pool of 149 books, the most ever submitted for the prize. Hofmann will split the ₤50,000 prize (about $63,500) with Erpenbeck.
At the awards ceremony, Erpenbeck said she was so surprised by the prize that she “didn’t even think about giving a real speech.” After thanking Hofmann, her publishers, and her editor, she added, “I come from a family of writers. There was much writing in my family on all sides, and now I’m standing here, and I’m very honored.”
Hofmann’s translation of Kairos was praised for its “luminous prose” and rich quality. “Michael Hofmann’s translation captures the eloquence and eccentricities of Erpenbeck’s writing, the rhythm of its run-on sentences, and the expanse of her emotional vocabulary,” said Eleanor Wachtel, chair of the 2024 judges.
Hofmann, who said he was “staggered” by the win, described translation as a “peculiar” thing. “It’s funny being the back half of a pantomime horse, or the brakeman on a bobsleigh team, but there is something exhilarating about translating, doing something in a big zigzag as quickly and finely as you can.”
Hofmann is a poet, essayist, and a previous judge for the International Booker Prize. He has translated dozens of books from German into English, including authors such as Franz Kafka and Hans Fallada. On first reading Kairos he found it “a completely amazing book…irresistible and also unpredictable…I was really lucky to be asked to do this book, and I thank Jenny for trusting me.”
Read Full Article
MLB Star Shohei Ohtani’s Former Interpreter Pleads Not Guilty as a Formality
NBC Los Angeles (05/14/24) By Stefanie Dazio
The former Japanese-language interpreter hired for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pleaded not guilty on May 14 to bank and tax fraud, a formality ahead of a plea deal he’s negotiated with federal prosecutors to admit guilt in a wide-ranging sports betting case.
According to prosecutors, Ippei Mizuhara stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani to pay off sports gambling debts during a yearslong scheme, at times impersonating Ohtani to bankers and exploiting his personal and professional relationship with the player. Mizuhara signed a plea agreement that detailed the allegations on May 5, and prosecutors announced it several days later.
Mizuhara’s May 14 arraignment in downtown Los Angeles was a procedural matter. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mizuhara has agreed to plead guilty at a later date to one count each of bank fraud and subscribing to a false tax return. The bank fraud charge carries a possible federal prison term of up to 30 years, while the false tax return charge could add another three years to his sentence. A date has not been set for Mizuhara to enter his guilty plea.
Authorities said Mizuhara began making bets with an illegal bookmaker in September 2021. “Unable to pay his gambling debts, Mizuhara orchestrated a scheme to deceive and cheat the bank to fraudulently obtain money from Ohtani’s account,” prosecutors said in a statement.
“The extent of this defendant’s deception and theft is massive,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said. “He took advantage of his position of trust to take advantage of Mr. Ohtani and fuel a dangerous gambling habit. My office is committed to vindicating victims throughout our community and ensuring that wrongdoers face justice.”
Read Full Article
Canadian Freelance Union Announces Massive Drive to Organize Freelancers; Interpreters and Translators Form First Unit
Canadian Newswire (05/03/24)
Unifor, Canada’s largest union in the private sector, has announced an organizing drive that will expand the membership of the Canadian Freelance Union beyond communications workers. The first group to join will be interpreters and translators who are members of the Interpreters and Translators Unit (ITU).
“We are excited to welcome ITU-CFU into our union family,” said Nora Loreto, president of the Canadian Freelance Union. “Their decision to join us reflects a shared commitment to promoting fairness, equality, and dignity in the workplace. Together we will strive to create a more equitable and sustainable future for all freelance interpreter and translator professionals.”
Through this partnership, freelance interpreters and translators will be able to take advantage of a range of benefits, including access to health and insurance plans, collective action to improve working conditions and fair compensation, grievances support, and interpreter ID passes.
“I pursued the dream of unionizing because I believe the challenges facing freelance interpreters affect not only interpreters’ equitable pay, working conditions, professional status, and accreditation credentials but the population we serve,” said Mahassen Mahmoud, an Arabic-language conference and court interpreter. “Interpreters and translators support so many fields and types of communication avenues, so joining the Canadian Freelance Union/Unifor is a breakthrough for our profession.”
Read Full Article
Settlement Ensures Communication Access for Deaf People on Parole and Probation in Georgia
American Civil Liberties Union (05/03/24)
Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing on parole and probation in Georgia have successfully settled a lawsuit challenging the Georgia Department of Community Supervision’s (GDCS) failure to provide them with accessible communication.
Under the terms of the settlement, GDCS has agreed to assess the communication needs of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing when they start probation or parole. GDCS will create communication plans (these can include aids like sign language interpreters or real-time captioning). The department will also develop policies and training to ensure communication aids are used effectively in the field, and that effective alternatives are used if any technical problems arise.
“No one in Georgia should have to face the risk of unknowingly violating terms of supervision and losing their freedom because they struggle to communicate with their parole or probation officer or to understand complicated supervision conditions,” said Brian Dimmick, senior staff attorney for the Disability Rights Program of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. “This settlement sets a robust standard for communication access that protects the rights of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. It should serve as a model for reform of supervision systems nationwide.”
Read Full Article
Los Angeles Unified School District Passes Resolution Supporting Multi-Language Learners
EdSource (05/08/24) By Mallika Seshadri
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board unanimously passed a resolution calling on Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to create a revamped Master Plan for English Learners to go into effect for the 2025-26 academic year.
According to the resolution, the revised plan must also be developed with input from various stakeholders, including students, families, teachers, the LAUSD-United Teachers Los Angeles Immigrant Support Committee, and community organizers.
The resolution also calls on the superintendent to holistically assess the needs of multi-language learner students and look for places to increase support—including providing culturally appropriate communication to families and access to interpreters.
“Whether our [multi-language learner] students are native to Los Angeles or newcomers, they bring their own experiences and assets to our schools,” LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gonez, who authored the resolution, said. “As a school district, I know we can do more to meet them where they are, unleash their incredible promise, and support their success. This resolution allows us to build upon our existing efforts to make them stronger and better.”
Read Full Article
First University-Level Chamorro Textbook Aims to Keep the Language Alive
Hawai’i Public Radio (05/07/24) By Catherine Cruz
The Finu’ Chamorro for Beginners, the first college-level textbook written to teach people how to speak, read, and write Chamorro, aims to keep the Austronesian language from disappearing as the number of native speakers dwindles.
For years, retired University of Hawai’i professor Faye Untalan offered free lessons to teach Chamorro students their native language. “It’s hard to teach any language without a textbook, so I struggled through,” she said.
When a student asked Untalan about receiving college credit for the class, she decided it was time to start developing a proper textbook.
Untalan approached the Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures at the University of Hawai’i, which offered to assist with developing a standardized curriculum. She also enlisted the help of professors from Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. The textbook was published by the University of Guam Press earlier this year.
“I think the textbook is very comprehensive, but it’s not the last or the best,” Untalan said. “I think over time that it will be improved as we learn better ways to teach the language.”
Read Full Article
