Kathryn
@kathrynraver.bsky.social
literary translator and assistant managing editor @ asymptote journal. language enthusiast & lover of all things SFF 💫
current reads: The Sovereign - CL Clark
current reads: The Sovereign - CL Clark
Reposted by Kathryn
On the critic side, my job is to dig into the choices the author made - why they might have made them, the larger social/literary/historical context of those choices, & how they make me feel. I can't do that with genAI. There's no intention or perspective. It's soulless. All meaning is superfluous.
When you edit a human draft, it has intention and perspective. Your job is to figure out what those are and then get the writing to better align.
AI writing does not have intention. It often isn't saying anything at all. You don't edit it, you resuscitate it. It's more work than writing yourself.
AI writing does not have intention. It often isn't saying anything at all. You don't edit it, you resuscitate it. It's more work than writing yourself.
December 24, 2025 at 8:27 PM
On the critic side, my job is to dig into the choices the author made - why they might have made them, the larger social/literary/historical context of those choices, & how they make me feel. I can't do that with genAI. There's no intention or perspective. It's soulless. All meaning is superfluous.
Reposted by Kathryn
The only reasonable position is zero tolerance: the AI industry must end sooner rather than later. It is culturally, socially, environmentally, and economically destructive, and all the Silicon Valley marketing in the world isn't going to make it otherwise.
December 23, 2025 at 4:57 PM
The only reasonable position is zero tolerance: the AI industry must end sooner rather than later. It is culturally, socially, environmentally, and economically destructive, and all the Silicon Valley marketing in the world isn't going to make it otherwise.
Reposted by Kathryn
Yes. And translators, badly paid, have been trying to make people aware of this, but they have only a small platform. Need writers and readers to be aware and speak out.
All my foreign language contracts going forward will stipulate that a real person translates.
All my foreign language contracts going forward will stipulate that a real person translates.
Deep breath
Ok I'm going to try and stay calm
But I'll point out that AI translation is literally causing translators to be fired (see the whole Harlequin line in France)
(1/?)
Ok I'm going to try and stay calm
But I'll point out that AI translation is literally causing translators to be fired (see the whole Harlequin line in France)
(1/?)
December 21, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Yes. And translators, badly paid, have been trying to make people aware of this, but they have only a small platform. Need writers and readers to be aware and speak out.
All my foreign language contracts going forward will stipulate that a real person translates.
All my foreign language contracts going forward will stipulate that a real person translates.
Reposted by Kathryn
Authors, remember that you CAN insist on human translation for your foreign-language editions and have it written into your contracts. You can no longer just assume you're going to get a human to work on the book whose every word you wrote with intent.
December 18, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Authors, remember that you CAN insist on human translation for your foreign-language editions and have it written into your contracts. You can no longer just assume you're going to get a human to work on the book whose every word you wrote with intent.
Reposted by Kathryn
Remember how I said I have it written into my foreign-language contracts that my work has to be translated by an actual human? This shit is why.
Those book translations are gonna suck. They'll save money putting out books that are going to be painful to read. That's not a great long-term strategy.
Those book translations are gonna suck. They'll save money putting out books that are going to be painful to read. That's not a great long-term strategy.
French publishing house Harlequin decided to use AI translation instead of human translations.
All their freelance translators (some of whom had been working with Harlequin for +30y!!!) were told they would no longer receive work from Harlequin
All their freelance translators (some of whom had been working with Harlequin for +30y!!!) were told they would no longer receive work from Harlequin
December 18, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Remember how I said I have it written into my foreign-language contracts that my work has to be translated by an actual human? This shit is why.
Those book translations are gonna suck. They'll save money putting out books that are going to be painful to read. That's not a great long-term strategy.
Those book translations are gonna suck. They'll save money putting out books that are going to be painful to read. That's not a great long-term strategy.
Reposted by Kathryn
Honestly authors, if your contract has language in there about faithful translation, TALK TO YOUR EDITOR AND AGENT because this isn’t it.
last month, one of my coworkers decided to use AI translation for a job. the AI skipped about 1/4 of the source text and added other stuff that didn't exist in the source. my coworkers trusted the bot output and went ahead and published this. i discovered the errors so i got the job of cleaning up.
December 18, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Honestly authors, if your contract has language in there about faithful translation, TALK TO YOUR EDITOR AND AGENT because this isn’t it.
Reposted by Kathryn
We're thrilled to announce ANMLY's 2027 Best Literary Translations nominations, for @deepvellum.bsky.social's upcoming anthology!
Congratulations to all of our nominees!
Check out their work in ANMLY #40 and #41, out now!
anmly.org
Congratulations to all of our nominees!
Check out their work in ANMLY #40 and #41, out now!
anmly.org
December 17, 2025 at 7:26 PM
We're thrilled to announce ANMLY's 2027 Best Literary Translations nominations, for @deepvellum.bsky.social's upcoming anthology!
Congratulations to all of our nominees!
Check out their work in ANMLY #40 and #41, out now!
anmly.org
Congratulations to all of our nominees!
Check out their work in ANMLY #40 and #41, out now!
anmly.org
Reposted by Kathryn
It's time for slower art. The constant churn and grind pushed by techno capitalism has reached its inevitable conclusion with AI slop. Let's make our best work and be patient with our process. Let's release art that's worth stopping for and savoring. Let's show each other what humans can do
December 13, 2025 at 6:35 PM
It's time for slower art. The constant churn and grind pushed by techno capitalism has reached its inevitable conclusion with AI slop. Let's make our best work and be patient with our process. Let's release art that's worth stopping for and savoring. Let's show each other what humans can do
Reposted by Kathryn
Read translator @missadadoom.bsky.social on six novels in translation that combine folk tales and horror.
lithub.com/chilling-lit...
lithub.com/chilling-lit...
Chilling Lit: Six Novels in Translation That Blend Folktales and Horror
Togetherness that’s on the side of suffocating, history that won’t stay put or past, and nature that doesn’t just exist, benignly, but watches and waits….Folk horror deals in dissonance, drea…
lithub.com
December 6, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Read translator @missadadoom.bsky.social on six novels in translation that combine folk tales and horror.
lithub.com/chilling-lit...
lithub.com/chilling-lit...
Reposted by Kathryn
NEWS: The Institute of Museum & Library Services has restored ALL previously canceled federal grants to libraries, following a ruling by a federal judge in Rhode Island last month.
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
December 3, 2025 at 10:18 PM
NEWS: The Institute of Museum & Library Services has restored ALL previously canceled federal grants to libraries, following a ruling by a federal judge in Rhode Island last month.
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
This is a massive win for libraries & communities in every state & territory!
Learn more: www.ala.org/news/2025/12...
Reposted by Kathryn
No darkness lasts forever. And even there, there are stars.
December 3, 2025 at 2:42 PM
No darkness lasts forever. And even there, there are stars.
Reposted by Kathryn
"It is said (that is to say that there are people who tell other people who tell other people who, etc., across generations) that at the top of the hill there is a garden, that this garden is beautiful..."
—Kathryn Raver translates Karim Kattan
anmly.org/ap41/kathryn...
—Kathryn Raver translates Karim Kattan
anmly.org/ap41/kathryn...
Kathryn Raver translates Karim Kattan – ANMLY
anmly.org
November 24, 2025 at 12:46 PM
"It is said (that is to say that there are people who tell other people who tell other people who, etc., across generations) that at the top of the hill there is a garden, that this garden is beautiful..."
—Kathryn Raver translates Karim Kattan
anmly.org/ap41/kathryn...
—Kathryn Raver translates Karim Kattan
anmly.org/ap41/kathryn...
Reposted by Kathryn
Anybody who is like “Piracy is activism!”—trust me, supporting your local library is about 1000% more effective activism, and it’s still free for you and authors still get paid!
November 26, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Anybody who is like “Piracy is activism!”—trust me, supporting your local library is about 1000% more effective activism, and it’s still free for you and authors still get paid!
Reposted by Kathryn
Communities need used-book shops.
As the trends in our world are increasingly standardized and entrenched by "predictive" technologies that stifle innovation and reduce human actions into economic categories...
We need a full range of possibilities for readers and communities to explore and share.
As the trends in our world are increasingly standardized and entrenched by "predictive" technologies that stifle innovation and reduce human actions into economic categories...
We need a full range of possibilities for readers and communities to explore and share.
November 27, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Communities need used-book shops.
As the trends in our world are increasingly standardized and entrenched by "predictive" technologies that stifle innovation and reduce human actions into economic categories...
We need a full range of possibilities for readers and communities to explore and share.
As the trends in our world are increasingly standardized and entrenched by "predictive" technologies that stifle innovation and reduce human actions into economic categories...
We need a full range of possibilities for readers and communities to explore and share.
Reposted by Kathryn
Against Settler Colonialism: A Reading List
Against Settler Colonialism: A Reading List
From Turtle Island to Palestine, Indigenous people across the world continue to resist settler-colonial domination, extraction, and exploitation of their land and communities.
We center these tradi...
www.haymarketbooks.org
November 26, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Against Settler Colonialism: A Reading List
Reposted by Kathryn
wrote an article for @thebookseller.com outlining to the industry why small presses are the lifeforce & future of book production. Pls share esp w people who may not know what small press publishers do!
www.thebookseller.com/comment/dont...
www.thebookseller.com/comment/dont...
Don’t invest in AI, invest in the future of the book
Why the publishing industry must back small presses, rather than LLMs.
www.thebookseller.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:48 AM
wrote an article for @thebookseller.com outlining to the industry why small presses are the lifeforce & future of book production. Pls share esp w people who may not know what small press publishers do!
www.thebookseller.com/comment/dont...
www.thebookseller.com/comment/dont...
Reposted by Kathryn
Good literary translation requires understanding (language, culture, genre--on both sides of the translation) and an ability to write well. "AI" can't do that. There are no shortcuts. Treat your work and foreign language readers with the respect they deserve. You won't fool anyone with this.
Amazon has launched a new AI-driven translation service, Kindle Translate, for Kindle Direct Publishing authors 👇 #BookSky
Amazon launches AI translation service for indie authors
ebx.sh
November 7, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Good literary translation requires understanding (language, culture, genre--on both sides of the translation) and an ability to write well. "AI" can't do that. There are no shortcuts. Treat your work and foreign language readers with the respect they deserve. You won't fool anyone with this.
Reposted by Kathryn
Find your next favorite writer in our latest roundup of lit mags! Our October roundup features new issues from more than 25 magazines: www.clmp.org/news/october...
October 2025 Roundup of Member Magazines - Community of Literary Magazines and Presses
We’re proud to share this list of literary journals—all members of CLMP—publishing new poetry, fiction, nonfiction, artwork, and more in October 2025. After Dinner Conversation | October 2025…
www.clmp.org
October 29, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Find your next favorite writer in our latest roundup of lit mags! Our October roundup features new issues from more than 25 magazines: www.clmp.org/news/october...
Reposted by Kathryn
Surprise!!! I’m having a busy winter, but all to the good!
Or rather, the grim!
Or rather, the grim!
Massive news! We’ve just announced our second (of three) novellas for 2026 with the brilliant @clclark.bsky.social
Grimdark Magazine acquires world rights to a new C.L. Clark novella
In August 2026, we will be publishing a new dark fantasy novella by BFA award-winning editor and Nebula-nominated author C.L. Clark.
www.grimdarkmagazine.com
October 30, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Surprise!!! I’m having a busy winter, but all to the good!
Or rather, the grim!
Or rather, the grim!
Reposted by Kathryn
This is also still ongoing, to fund English translations of African novels written in non-colonial languages! (which do not get translated very frequently!)
the African Translation Project is at 7% of their final goal, which they need by FRIDAY
Please donate, please share
ko-fi.com/africantrans...
Please donate, please share
ko-fi.com/africantrans...
Support African Translation Project
African Translation Project, Goal 4: Fully Fund Two Translations, by 31 October, still needed: $3245, 68%, If this goal is met: Translations will be fully funded for Bengithi Lizokuna and Zvinobvinza,...
ko-fi.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:27 AM
This is also still ongoing, to fund English translations of African novels written in non-colonial languages! (which do not get translated very frequently!)
I’m beyond thrilled to have a translation in @anmlymag.bsky.social ‘s newest issue! Karim Kattan is an extraordinary author, and I’m honored to have had the opportunity to translate his work.
anmly.org/ap41/kathryn...
anmly.org/ap41/kathryn...
October 15, 2025 at 3:11 PM
I’m beyond thrilled to have a translation in @anmlymag.bsky.social ‘s newest issue! Karim Kattan is an extraordinary author, and I’m honored to have had the opportunity to translate his work.
anmly.org/ap41/kathryn...
anmly.org/ap41/kathryn...
Reposted by Kathryn
ANMLY #41 is here! We’re thrilled to share new translations, fiction, a double issue of poetry, CNF, with a folio on autistic protest poetry!
>>> anmly.org/ap41 And we're open for new work until February 1
>>> anmly.submittable.com
>>> anmly.org/ap41 And we're open for new work until February 1
>>> anmly.submittable.com
October 15, 2025 at 2:19 PM
ANMLY #41 is here! We’re thrilled to share new translations, fiction, a double issue of poetry, CNF, with a folio on autistic protest poetry!
>>> anmly.org/ap41 And we're open for new work until February 1
>>> anmly.submittable.com
>>> anmly.org/ap41 And we're open for new work until February 1
>>> anmly.submittable.com
Incredible exploration of the role of sex & desire in stories (and in shaping our real lives!) by @clclark.bsky.social ❤️
"And to tidy away always the messiness of life, to make it always palatable, that’s the most damning lie of all."
Author @clclark.bsky.social reflects on sex within Nicola Griffith's Ammonite, placing desire at the core of character and experience:
reactormag.com/everyones-in...
Author @clclark.bsky.social reflects on sex within Nicola Griffith's Ammonite, placing desire at the core of character and experience:
reactormag.com/everyones-in...
Everyone’s in Love, but Nobody’s Horny - Reactor
C.L. Clark discusses writing sex, desire, and queerness in Nicola Griffith's Ammonite
reactormag.com
September 30, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Incredible exploration of the role of sex & desire in stories (and in shaping our real lives!) by @clclark.bsky.social ❤️
Reposted by Kathryn
My splendid translator in France, Mikael Cabon, asked me to support an urgent campaign, launching today, opposing AI being used instead of people. I do so willingly, and feel same on behalf of audiobook readers and bookworld artists. I hope readers worldwide will show their agreement.
September 30, 2025 at 11:46 AM
My splendid translator in France, Mikael Cabon, asked me to support an urgent campaign, launching today, opposing AI being used instead of people. I do so willingly, and feel same on behalf of audiobook readers and bookworld artists. I hope readers worldwide will show their agreement.