Singapore Translation Symposium 2024

The Singapore Translation Symposium returns this year on 28 September at The Arts House! We examine the challenges and opportunities of translation, from the nuances of faithfulness to the complexities of translating across languages, cultures, and genres.

Attendees will also gain valuable insights on building a career in translation. The sessions at this year’s Symposium will illuminate the different ways one can translate, and the practical concerns of literary translation as a career.

Date: 28 September (Saturday)

Venue: Blue Room, The Arts House

Featuring: A. K. Kulshreshth, Uganda Kwan, Ng Yi-Sheng

Time: 0945 - 1100 (SGT)

In English

How much should a translator stay true to the source text? This panel brings together translators to discuss the nuances of fidelity in translation, from navigating cultural differences to balancing accuracy and precision. They’ll share real-world challenges and examine what “faithfulness” really means when bringing a work into another language. Expect insight on a question at the heart of every translator’s craft.

Featuring: Haresh Sharma, Saleem Hadi

Time: 1130 - 1300 (SGT)

In English

Join acclaimed playwright Haresh Sharma and Saleem Hadi on the collaborative process of translating and adapting works across languages and cultures. Together, they will share about the creative challenges faced when bringing plays to life in different languages, emphasising the fluidity and openness of working with translators and actors. The discussion will also delve into the role of translation in theatre, particularly how projected texts are used on stage and received by audiences.

Featuring: Amanda Ruiqing Flynn, Shelly Bryant

Time: 1400 - 1500 (SGT)

In English

How can emerging translators successfully navigate their careers? Is it through mentorship programs, working with literary agents, or other avenues? Whether you're an aspiring translator or simply curious about the inner workings of the industry, this discussion offers valuable insights and practical advice for everyone.

Featuring: Chan Maw Woh, Michale Lim Sze How

Moderated by: Chan Wai Han

Time: 1530 - 1700 (SGT)

In English

Yang Quee Yee has been acknowledged as the expert in compiling Malay-Chinese-English dictionaries in various combinations. This is the launch of his memoir, Tapping Words, Bridging Cultures, as well as a tribute to his intimacy with these languages. The unusual intimacy also refers to the close collaboration between Professor Yang and his wife Mdm Chan, who co-authored 17 dictionaries between them. The couple was jointly conferred the Singapore Book Council Achievement Award in 2021, in recognition of their work in lexicography and translation, thereby promoting inter-cultural understanding.

Register here.

Featuring: Shelly Bryant, Susan Harris, Tiffany Tsao

Time: 1000 - 1100 (SGT)

In English

This discussion confronts a crucial question: What can drive more translations? Is it the allure of prizes or increased publisher involvement? Join the 2024 Singapore Literature Prize Translation category judges as they discuss what can be done to foster a vibrant landscape of translated literature.

Register here.

Amanda Ruiqing Flynn

A.K. Kulshreshth’s short stories have been published in nine countries. He has translated the classic Hindi works Chitralekha (1934) and Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu (1948-49) into English. His first novel, Lying Eyes, was longlisted for 2022 Epigram Books Fiction Prize and selected as an Editor's Choice by The Historical Novel Review (UK).

With 17 dictionaries jointly authored with Yang Quee Yee, in various combinations of Malay, Chinese and English, Chan Maw Woh topped that with 17 Chinese books written or translated from Malay. And she has continued lending her expertise to various translation projects. Over 35 years she worked with major Chinese newspapers, Sin Chew Jit Poh and Lianhe Zaobao, translating Malaysian and Indonesian newspaper editorials into Chinese, beside writing numerous essays on Malay cultures and societies in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. An active member of various writers’ clubs, Chan has been conferred lifetime membership with Angkatan Sasterawan '50 (ASAS '50) and awarded the Malay Literary Prize, as well as the Malay Language Council of Singapore's Friends of Literature Prize.

Chan Wai Han (Moderator), a Social Work graduate, edits and produces books for Pagesetters Services. (An irony indeed, considering that she dreaded writing compositions during school days!) She enjoys composing Chinese blessing poems for friends with their names, and working on issues of social conscience. She still dreams of becoming proficient in Bahasa Kebangsaan, our National Language.

Haresh Sharma is the Resident Playwright of The Necessary Stage. He has written more than 120 plays, including Off Centre, the first Singapore play to be included as a Literature text for GCE 'N' and 'O' Levels. He is a recipient of the S.E.A. Write Award and the Cultural Medallion.

Michael Lim Sze How was principally an educator. He closed his school chapter as Principal of The Seventh-day Adventist School, not before a two-year foray into the printing industry. Now retired, he spends his time with regular walks to keep fit, besides learning to use IT gadgets and software. With great effort, as he does not read Chinese but has spoken fluency in the language, Michael put his mind to stimulating work such as the transcreation of this title, Tapping Words, Bridging Cultures.

Saleem Hadi is an award-winning hybrid visual-storyteller who uses theatre and film to shed light on national narratives and social issues. He is also a bilingual (Tamil & English) writer who writes scripts (TV/theatre/films), poems and short stories. Saleem has been contributing heavily to Singapore’s arts and media industry since 1999. Saleem has written, directed and produced more than 25 plays (both in English and Tamil) and 25 short films, some of which have won and were featured in international festivals. Saleem won the 1st Prize for his English short story in NAC’s prestigious 2017 Golden Point Award Literary Competition.

Shelly Bryant divides her year between Shanghai and Singapore, working as a poet, writer, and translator. She is a published author and has translated work from the Chinese for Penguin Books, Epigram Publishing, the National Library Board in Singapore, Giramondo Books, HSRC, and Rinchen Books, and edited poetry anthologies for Alban Lake and Celestial Books. Her translation of Sheng Keyi’s Northern Girls was long-listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2012, and her translation of You Jin's In Time, Out of Place was shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize in 2016.

Susan Harris serves as the editorial director of Words Without Borders. With Ilya Kaminsky, she coedited The Ecco Anthology of International Poetry (2010).

Tiffany Tsao is a literary translator and writer. Her translations of Indonesian fiction have been awarded the PEN Translation Prize, the NSW Premier's Translation Prize, the Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses, and longlisted for the International Booker Prize. She is the author of three novels, the latest of which was The Majesties (2018). She holds a PhD in English from UC-Berkeley.

The programme can be cancelled or postponed two weeks before the date if the minimum number of participants is not met. Participants will be fully refunded for workshops cancelled by us.

Participants who are unable to attend a programme they have registered for are to inform us of the reason two weeks before the programme date. They will be fully refunded in the event of extenuating and mitigating circumstances (E.g. illness, bereavement, accidents). Those who inform us up to 5 working days before the programme date will receive a 50% refund. Those who did not turn up at the programme will not receive a refund.

Upon registration, you are deemed to have read and understood the terms and conditions and cancellation policy and accept the terms contained therein.

For enquiries, please email [email protected].

Host or Publisher Singapore Book Council