'Open Letter' to make foreign literature accessible
There's not a ticket to be had anywhere for tonight's reading and discussion at the University of Rochester with internationally renown authors Salman Rushdie (The Satanic Verses) and Umberto Eco (The Name of the Rose).
But the bigger story for Rochester may be the host of this PEN World Voices event — Open Letter, UR's brand new press dedicated to publishing works of literature in translation. This fall, Open Letter will publish its first six titles, followed by six more in the spring.
Those first offerings, which will sell for $15 to $18, include The Pets, an alternately dark and hilarious novel, by Icelandic writer Bragi Olafsson; The Taker and Other Short Stories, by Portuguese author Rubem Fonseca; and The Sailor from Gibraltar, by French writer Marguerite Duras.
The press also works in conjunction with a new literary translation program launched this year at the UR. This academic year, it accepted its first undergraduates, says Chad Post, the 32-year-old director of Open Letter, and it will be offered also to grad students in the fall. It's a certificate program that fits nicely with a number of specializations — in modern languages, history, philosophy or religious studies. Students will learn the "art" of translating literature and have a chance to intern with the press where they can learn the ins and outs of the publishing business.
It's often said that only 3 percent of books published annually in the United States are works of foreign literature in translation, says Post, but "it's actually much smaller than that — about 400 titles a year."
The idea is to make some wonderful books available to that segment of American readers who "crave good literature," he says. Open Letter is a hybrid press — not really a pop-market commercial publisher, nor a university press that publishes academic peer-reviewed works. Initially, Post says, the university will support the effort, but over time it should be self-sustaining, relying on sales, arts grants and income from foreign government cultural organizations that promote literature in translation.
To be considered a publishing success, a translated literary work need sell only 2,500 to 3,000 copies, Post says. Anything more than that would be considered hugely successful. The keys are selecting titles for translation and connecting to the market or potential readers.
Post has just returned this week from an international publishing event in Argentina and also attended the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, where he is cultivating a deep list of contacts to help Open Letter sift through thousands of titles to find the best fits for its mission. Finding an audience may be a little trickier, but online reviews will help, as will utilizing contacts through university channels. The press has its own Web site, www.openletterbooks.org, which previews titles and takes orders. The books will also be available in stores and at online sellers such as Amazon. Post also edits a blog, "threepercent" (find a link to it from www.openletter.org), which offers a wealth of material related to literature in translation.
The point to literature in translation, Post says, is to open the American market to a wide range of important literature that is largely inaccessible to English language readers.
"We're not looking for books that people feel they have to slog through to learn something," Post says. "We will offer books that will be thoroughly enjoyable." If Open Letter opens doors and brings more world renown authors through Rochester in the process, all the better.
Mark is a local columnist for the Democrat and Chronicle.
This article originally appeared in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle on May 1, 2008. See the original article.