6 Esteemed Literary Translators, in Their Own Word
Get to know six of the world’s most esteemed translators behind classics like ‘Don Quixote’ and contemporary novels like ‘My Struggle’
By LIESL SCHILLINGER
Ann Goldstein
Specialty: Italian
# of Books Translated: “Like 35 books, since 1992.”
First Notable Translation: Journey to the Land of the Flies, by Aldo Buzzi
Noteworthy Authors: Elena Ferrante, Primo Levi, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Giacomo Leopardi, Jhumpa Lahiri
Known for: My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante
Process: “I sit down at the desk and I type. I do the first draft fast, then I do the second draft and another draft and then the fourth. I do a lot of drafts.”
Next Up: The Young Bride, by Alessandro Baricco