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English PEN translation advisory appoints Nichola Smalley as co-chair
Translator Nichola Smalley has been appointed as a translation advisory co-chair at English PEN, where she will be joining So Mayer and Preti Taneja.
Together, the co-chairs advise on the development and delivery of English PEN’s translation and international programme, including its flagship grant for translated literature, PEN Translates.
Nichola Smalley said: "I’m really looking forward to working with the English PEN team on their translation work—I am in awe of all that they have achieved in helping to diversify, support and raise the profile of translated literature in the UK. After watching them demonstrate their skill, dedication, knowledge and passion again and again, I am excited to learn from them and to share with them my knowledge and experience of the sector, and to find new ways to grow the programme and support the team."
Nichola Smalley is a translator of Swedish and Norwegian literature. In 2021, she won the Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize for her translation of Wretchedness by Andrzej Tichý, and her work has also been nominated for the International Booker, Bernard Shaw and Warwick Prizes. She is a Translators Association committee member, a Bookseller Rising Star 2021 and worked for several years for the independent publisher And Other Stories. She has a PhD in the use of slang in contemporary Swedish and English literature, and currently lives in London.
So Mayer, co-chair, said: "Nichola Smalley is a champion of translators and translation, through her stellar work with Translators Association and And Other Stories, as well as her own award-winning translation practice. We couldn’t have a more insightful and passionate co-chair guiding the ever-growing translation programme."
Preti Taneja, co-chair, said: "Nichola Smalley has superlative insight and experience not only in literary translation, but in pitching, commissioning and promotion for unique works that might otherwise struggle to find publishing or media support. We are lucky to have her joining us as a co-chair, and look forward to working with her."
English PEN, a registered charity, promotes the freedom to write and the freedom to read in the UK and around the world. The founding centre of a global writers’ association was established in 1921.
English PEN’s "Writers in Translation" programme has been promoting literature in translation since 2005. The programme is overseen by a committee of literary professionals and includes translation grants, events, and PEN Transmissions and an online magazine of international writing.
