✉️ If your ballot paper is still lying on your kitchen table/being used as a cat bed/anywhere else, then please take a moment to retrieve it and fill it in. Then post it pronto! 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐛𝐲 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟐 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲.⁣

‼️ I’m not interested in extremes or noise – just in practical, balanced advocacy that helps us all do our best work.⁣

I see how interconnected our community is – and how much we gain when we work together rather than splinter apart. I’m proud to bring experience from my work as Chair of the Translators Association, but my commitment is to represent 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 of the SoA fairly and constructively.⁣

I am an eager member of my local SoA group in Edinburgh, a grateful beneficiary of the hard work being done by the excellent SoA Scotland committee, and I’ve served on the Translators Association committee since 2022.

Our work has worth and value: I’ll work tirelessly to ensure that our rights are respected (and that we kick up a fuss when they aren’t) so that we can make sure that our profession remains viable.⁣

I’m standing because I believe the SoA must keep standing up for 𝘢𝘭𝘭 of us – 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 alike – as we face the twin challenges of copyright erosion and the unregulated rise of AI.

📢 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬⁣
⁣
There are just 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 left to return your ballot papers for the @societyofauthors.bsky.social 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬! If you haven’t yet voted, please do – every single vote really does matter.⁣

Register to attend for free here: societyofauthors.org/event/how-we...

Next Thurs, I'll be talking to co-translators @cctranslates.bsky.social and @dances-with-voles.bsky.social as part of the @societyofauthors.bsky.social #SoAatHome events. We'll be talking translation & celebrating the release of their co-translation of Nino Haratischwili's "The Lack of Light".

The Society has today launched a new funding grant in honour of Dr Ryan Foster, supporting those who have come or returned to academia later in life.

📘 Out today: my translation of Andrev Walden’s “Bloody Awful in Different Ways”. I loved working on this – all credit to Andrev for writing something that engaged my inner translation chimp. I’m certain you’ll love it too. Please go out and get a copy or request at your local library.

Andrev Walden’s Bloody Awful in Different Ways is out on 31 July in my translation from Swedish published by Fig Tree.

As Meg Rosoff puts it: “Andrev thrashes through life with the optimism and blind persistence of a three-legged squirrel.”
Pre-order now via link in bio.

#TranslationMatters

Completely fascinating - & moving - piece by Yukiko Duke on a mother-daughter book translating relationship, & the joys & challenges of transforming Japanese prose into another language. Essay translated by @iangiles.bsky.social. Thanks @jolloyds.bsky.social for sharing this.

We’re asking Meta to #DoTheWriteThing, are you? #MetaBookThieves www.change.org/p/protect-au...

I've written a piece for Eurozine about literary translation and AI - perhaps we're all doomed, perhaps we're not. www.eurozine.com/pirate-ai/

I’m organising the Assembly of Literary Translators – a gathering for literary translators of all persuasions to come together for an afternoon of panels and conversation in central London on 11 March. Full details and registration: the-assembly-of-literary-translators.eventbrite.co.uk