Each year, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Governor General of Canada collaborate to honour the finest in Canadian literature.
The categories are: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, children’s literature and, of course, literary translation.
Toronto, October 14, 2009 – The Canada Council for the Arts has announced the finalists for the 2009 Governor General’s Literary Awards. The finalists include authors, illustrators and translators from ages 27 to 78. The English and French awards are in the categories of fiction, non‑fiction, poetry, drama, children’s literature (text and illustration) and translation. In total, 70 books are shortlisted.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Canada Council involvement with the Governor General’s Literary Awards. A total of 1,541 eligible books were submitted for this year’s awards. Thirty-eight of the 75 finalists are nominated for the first time. At least seven of the finalists are under the age of 35 and three of the finalists are aboriginal. A sense of belonging, family, war and religion are themes that figure prominently in several of the books.
The names of the finalists in the literary translation category and the titles of their works are listed below with the peer assessment committees’ citations for each work.
Translation - French to English
Phyllis Aronoff and Howard Scott, Montreal,
A Slight Case of Fatigue.
(Talonbooks; distributed by Publishers Group Canada, a division of Raincoast Books)
(ISBN 978-0-88922-596-1)
English translation of Un peu de fatigue by Stéphane Bourguignon
(Les Éditions Québec Amérique)
With A Slight Case of Fatigue, Phyllis Aronoff and Howard Scott have captured the dark humour of the original, deftly rendering the intensity and humanity of the characters in a translation that does justice to the frenetic emotional world created by Stéphane Bourguignon.
Jo-Anne Elder, Fredericton, One.
(Goose Lane Editions; distributed by University of Toronto Press)
(ISBN 978-0-86492-533-6)
English translation of Seul on est by Serge Patrice Thibodeau
(Les Éditions Perce-Neige)
In One, Jo-Anne Elder’s bold, yet delicate translation provides
English-language readers with thrilling access to the poetic world of Serge Patrice Thibodeau – in which the majesty and intimacy of the natural world are mirrored in a human experience that sees itself, both agonizingly and ecstatically, at one with Nature.
David Homel and Fred A. Reed, Montreal, Wildlives.
(Douglas & McIntyre; distributed by HarperCollins Canada)
(ISBN 978-1-55365-409-4)
English translation of Champagne by Monique Proulx
(Les Éditions du Boréal)
David Homel and Fred A. Reed have produced a richly vibrant prose that captures the pulses and rhythms, the energy, and the teeming profusion of Monique Proulx’s powerful evocation of the life-death forces at work in the wilderness of a Laurentian landscape on which human beings intrude with haunting consequences.
Susan Ouriou, Calgary, Pieces of Me.
(Kids Can Press; distributed by University of Toronto Press)
(ISBN 978-1-55453-242-1) (bound) / 978-1-55453-432-6 (pbk))
English translation of La liberté? Connais pas… by Charlotte Gingras (Les éditions de la courte échelle)
Pieces of Me, Susan Ouriou’s translation of a compelling novel for young adults, is itself a work of superb literary quality. It captures both the mind and heart of Mirabelle, the book’s fragile yet courageous protagonist, and the ineffably subtle and moving lyricism of
Charlotte Gingras’s original.
Fred A. Reed, Montreal, Empire of Desire: The Abolition of Time.
(Talonbooks; distributed by Publishers Group Canada, a division of Raincoast Books)
(ISBN 978-0-88922-587-9)
English translation of Le temps aboli : l’Occident et ses grands récits by Thierry Hentsch (Les Éditions du Boréal / Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal)
Fred Reed reproduces the subtle modulations of thought, the powerful strokes of insight, and the assured stride of this complex reflection on masterworks of the Western narrative tradition. The translation replicates with astonishing versatility the empathetic, mimetic and infinitely varying rhythms of the author’s style.
Translation – English to French
Sylvie Nicolas, Quebec City, Lundi sans faute.
(Les Éditions Québec Amérique; distributed by Diffusion Prologue)
(ISBN 978-2-7644-0650-2)
French translation of Right Away Monday by Joel Thomas Hynes (Harper Perennial, a division of HarperCollins Publishers)
Lundi sans faute is an excellent translation of a text that is difficult both linguistically and stylistically. Sylvie Nicolas has rendered the dialogue in all its diversity, with great sensitivity and lightness of touch – a feat that enables us to appreciate the work of this young writer from Newfoundland.
Paule Noyart, Bromont (Quebec), Le miel d’Harar.
(Leméac Éditeur / Actes Sud; distributed by Socadis)
(ISBN 978-2-7609-2680-6)
French translation of Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibb
(Anchor Canada)
The challenge of translating the intricacies of a language that in its original form espouses the subtle meanders of a transcultural journey has been remarkably met by Paule Noyart. The success of this kind of endeavour is proof of the artistry of translation.
Hélène Rioux, Montreal, Certitudes.
(XYZ éditeur; distributed by Distribution HMH)
(ISBN 978-2-89261-528-9)
French translation of Certainty by Madeleine Thien
(McClelland & Stewart)
Certitudes is an excellent translation that allows francophone readers to discover a magnificent novel. Hélène Rioux has done a superb job in capturing the individual quests of the characters, the powerful pathos of the story and the richness emanating from cultural differences.
Lori Saint-Martin and Paul Gagné, Montreal,
Cartes postales de l’enfer.
(Les Éditions du Boréal; distributed by Diffusion Dimédia)
(ISBN 978-2-7646-0643-8)
French translation of The Soul of All Great Designs by
Neil Bissoondath (Cormorant Books)
The most astonishing thing for the reader of a translation is to feel like they’re reading the book in its original language. This is the case with Cartes postales de l’enfer, an amazingly accurate and inventive translation of Neil Bissoondath’s novel.
Lori Saint-Martin and Paul Gagné, Montreal, La veuve.
(Les Éditions du Boréal; distributed by Diffusion Dimédia)
(ISBN 978-2-7646-0657-5)
French translation of The Outlander by Gil Adamson
(House of Anansi Press)
Translators Lori Saint-Martin and Paul Gagné have drawn on an extensive vocabulary to render the atmosphere and complex textures of this highly evocative novel. They’ve accomplished this feat with vigour, creating a translation that is both audacious and faithful to the original.
Non-fiction
Charles Le Blanc, Gatineau (Quebec), Le complexe d’Hermès : regards philosophiques sur la traduction.
(Les Presses de l’Université d’Ottawa; distributed by Prologue)
(ISBN 978-2-7603-3038-2)
Hermes, messenger of the gods, never spoke on his own behalf. Likewise the translator is a portal for text, transmitting the words from the creators, the authors, to their public. A brilliant and rich reflection of vast cultural erudition, this book is a philosophical meditation on the work of translation, expressed in impeccably-mastered language.
For More Information
http://www.canadacouncil.ca/prizes/ggla/default.htm
