The American Literary Translators Association continues its Arizona Translates! project this week, with a series of free, public events celebrating the craft of literary translation.
Arizona Translates! is ALTA’s first public event series aimed at bringing translation to Arizona audiences since the organization moved to Tucson and became affiliated with the College of Humanities in January 2019. This series is made possible by a grant from Arizona Humanities.
The free public events are held in connection with ALTA’s 44th annual conference, ALTA44: Inflection Points, which brings literary translators from across the country to Tucson for workshops and talks.
Arizona Translates! includes:
- Reading by the BIPOC Literary Translators Caucus, Nov. 11, 8 pm, Sky Bar
Get your weekend off to an interplanetary start with a reading by the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) Literary Translators Caucus at Sky Bar, Tucson’s beloved astronomy-themed, stargazing, solar-powered nightspot.
- Keynote Address by Ofelia Zepeda, Nov. 12, 3:30 pm, Tucson Marriott University Park
A member of the Tohono O’odham (formerly Papago) Nation, Ofelia Zepeda grew up in Stanfield, Arizona. She earned a BA, an MA, and a PhD in linguistics from the University of Arizona. She is the author of a grammar of the Tohono O’odham language, A Papago Grammar, and several collections of poetry.
Following the keynote address, attendees are invited to join discussion tables and share their thoughts about the Zepeda’s address with fellow attendees.
- Before the German’s Here: A Staged Reading and Talkback, Nov. 12, 7:30 pm, Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre
The winner of the 2021 ‘Plays in Translation’ contest will be presented in a staged reading followed by a talkback, in this collaboration with the Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre.
Tickets are $15, or free for ALTA44 conference registrants. Learn more and reserve your ticket on the Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre’s website.
“ALTA is proud to receive funding from Arizona Humanities to present the events in Arizona Translates! This exciting program will highlight the craft of literary translation and connect Arizonans to other cultures through world literature. We are delighted to present our first public event series aimed at bringing translation to Arizona audiences, since moving to Tucson and affiliating with the College of Humanities in 2019,” said ALTA Executive Director Elisabeth Jaquette.