Special room rate $159.00, rate valid until September 29, 2009
Reservations will be by Individual Call-in
For Reservations call: 1-800-HILTONS
Please mention ALTA to ensure group rate
Continental Drift
The 2009 ALTA Conference Committee invites you to join us in Pasadena for a celebration of the confluence of cultures and languages that characterizes Southern California. Home of the world’s second largest Mexican population (after Mexico City), the most populous Korean community outside of Korea, and a center of Arab, Armenian, Central American, Chinese, Iranian, Jewish, Russian, Vietnamese, and countless other ethnic groups, greater Los Angeles is a place where continents truly do collide, even when our infamous seismic activity is at a lull! And who facilitates this metaphorical continental drift more effectively than literary translators?
You’ll find Pasadena an ideal location: our hotel is within walking distance of vibrant Old Town, with its exciting restaurants, shops, and historic buildings. Museum lovers can explore the Norton Simon Museum and the Huntington Library, located right in Pasadena, while the Getty, LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) and MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), in nearby Los Angeles, are easily accessible by car. The Music Center is right downtown, as well – just a fifteen minute drive.
This year’s ALTA conference will feature the intersection of translation and the entertainment industry, including film, legitimate theater, and music. Additionally, we will take a close look at the pedagogy of translation and the increasing visibility of literary translation in academia. Of course, you can expect the usual complement of provocative panel discussions, as well as an exciting selection of bilingual readings, expertly coordinated, as always, by Alexis Levitin. We’re happy to report that Barbara Paschke will once again be in charge of Friday night’s ever-popular Declamación. And we’ve invited three prominent keynote speakers associated with Latin American, Asian, and European literature in translation, respectively. But look for a few unusual twists this year. For example, you won’t want to miss the pre-conference reception, co-sponsored by Red Hen Press, on Wednesday evening, from 7-9, at the beautiful Pacific Asia Museum. The museum is located just steps from the Hilton. All galleries will remain open for our enjoyment. John Balaban will read his exquisite translations of Ho Xuan Huong's poems from his book, Spring Essence: The Poetry of Ho Xuan Huong and the talented Le Pham Le will recite the Vietnamese originals in this unique setting. As a tribute to Los Angeles’ rich theatrical traditions, we have a special event in store – a production of Jaime Salom’s Behind the Scenes inEden, directed by Chris Kidder of Commedia Beauregard.
We look forward to welcoming you to Southern California!
Deadlines to note:
-Our book exhibit this year will be handled by the University of La Verne Bookstore. To order copies of your books for the display, please submit your orders to Derek Dioces, Bookstore Manager, at 0871mgr@fheg.follett.com, or by phone at (909) 593-8962, no later than August 15.
Thanks to the many people who have expressed their interest in participating in the Bilingual Readings at the Pasadena ALTA Conference. We have received an unprecedented number of preliminary submissions and would like to be able to accommodate as many readers as possible. Please note: Even if you have already informed us of your desire to present a bilingual reading, you must still provide Alexis Levitin with the following information in order to be included. Because of time and space constraints, no submissions can be considered after the deadline.
Deadline: September 1, 2009
As always, Alexis Levitin will coordinate the bilingual readings. Members wishing to participate should email him at:
You must include: your name; language, and country of origin of the author being translated; genre; and bios of 50 words each for author and translator. If your author will be present, please so indicate. Individual readings are limited to 15 minutes; translators with authors will be allowed 30 minutes. Participants will be notified after September 10th.
Pulitzer-winning poet and translator Richard Wilbur was honored with the prestigious 2008 National Translation Award from the American Literary Translators Association during the group’s annual conference on Thursday, Oct. 16, in Minneapolis.
Each year, the National Translation Award honors the translator whose work, by virtue of both its quality and significance, has made the most valuable contribution to literary translation during the previous year. The award was conferred on Richard Wilbur for his translation of French dramatist Pierre Corneille’s The Theatre of Illusion.
ALTA was founded in 1978 to provide
essential services to literary translators from all languages and
create a professional forum for the exchange of ideas on the art and
craft of literary translation. ALTA's national offices are located at
the
Center for Translation Studies at The
University of Texas at Dallas.
Through its
annual conference, its publications,
and collaboration with other
professional organizations, ALTA works to enhance the
quality and status of literary translation and
to improve the market for the publication of
literary translation. ALTA services are currently
supported by members, occasional grants from
the National Endowment for the Arts, and the
University of Texas at Dallas.
Members in the News:
-Book Translations
-Articles in Anthologies and Journals
-Critical Articles about Translations
-Readings and Presentations
-Grants and Awards
This website and other ALTA activities are supported in part by grants
from the National Endowment for the Arts.
**The National Endowment for the Arts announces new, relaxed eligibility requirements for its Translation Fellowships.**
The NEA awards annual grants of $10,000 to $20,000 to translators of poetry and prose. The grants enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. Previously, 48 pages of published translations were required to render an applicant eligible to apply. This year, only 20 pages are required to establish a translator's eligibility. Please visit our Web site at www.nea.gov for guidelines and application.
Questions can be directed to NEA Literature Specialist Maryrose Flanigan at 202-682-5772 or flaniganm@arts.gov.
The ALTA website offers free, up-to-date information about publishing, academia, public organizations, research centers and other news of the profession:
• Programs and Departments of Literary Translation
• Publishing Opportunities
• Grants and Awards in Literary Translation
• Calendar of Literary Translation
• Promotion and Tenure Information for Academic Translators
Members of ALTA enjoy these specialmember benefits:
• Current issues of Translation Review, Annotated Books Received, and the ALTA Newsletter• Printed versions of all ALTA Guides to Literary Translation• Inclusion in and access to the ALTA Member Directory
In February of this year, the Salzburg Global Seminar convened a conference entitled “Traduttore Traditore? Recognizing and Promoting the Critical Role of Translation in a Global Culture.” As an organization committed to seeking solutions to issues of global concern and to promoting dialogue among cultures for more than sixty years, we felt this was an issue particularly deserving of greater focus and attention.
To this end, and with the generous support of The Edward T. Cone Foundation, the Seminar brought together more than seventy literary translators and writers, agents, publishers, critics, scholars, cultural authorities, and translation advocates from around the world to shed new light on the unsung art of literary translation and on the vital role translators play in making literature accessible to international audiences.
Pulitzer-winning poet and translator Richard Wilbur was honored with the prestigious 2008 National Translation Award from the American Literary Translators Association during the group’s annual conference on Thursday, Oct. 16, in Minneapolis.
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