Seeking Perfection – Masterclass in Literary Translation

Award-winning literary translator and 2026 International Booker Prize judge Sophie Hughes impersonates other writers for a living. In this 1.5-hour combined practical and instructive masterclass/workshop she will share insights into the joys and creative challenges of literary translation. Using Vincenzo Latronico's 2024 novel Le perfezioni (Perfection, Fitzcarraldo) as a guiding text, she will break down some of the processes involved in emulating a literary style in another language.

Participants do not need any prior experience of translating, but a proficient level of read Italian is essential, and the practical element of the workshop will focus on Italian into English translation only. The workshop will be run in English.

Sophie Hughes is a literary translator from Spanish and Italian. Her most recent translation is Vincenzo Latronico’s Perfection, shortlisted for the 2025 International Booker Prize and listed among the best books of 2025 by the New York Times, The New Yorker, New York Public Library, and the Irish Times, among others. When she isn't translating, she teaches translation. Sophie lives in Trieste, and was a judge for the International Booker Prize 2026.

Organised by the FIILI Association in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute Dublin as part of the Festival of Italian and Irish Literature in Ireland - FIILI 2026.