I was in the second year of my PhD when I first had the…
“I was in the second year of my PhD when I first had the idea - I'd recently started working as a translator, which meant firstly that I was hearing about amazing-sounding books from other translators, and also that I was getting enough of an insider's view of the publishing industry to be aware of all the implicit biases that made it so difficult for these books to ever get published, especially if they weren't from European languages (harder to discover, editors can't read the original, lack of funding programmes, authors who don't speak English).”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
She recognized publishing bias against non‑European works, limiting diverse voices.
In simple terms: Publishing favors European languages, marginalizing others.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for inclusive publishing practices.
Themes
bias
diversity
literature
publishing industry
Mood
reflective
motivational
Type
industry
advocacy
When to use this quote
- literary agencies
- academic conferences
- grant applications
- editorial meetings
Key Concepts
cultural he
market dynamics
translation challenges
Questions to Reflect On
- What steps can editors take to discover non‑European works?
- How can translators influence market openness?
A Different Perspective
Changing entrenched preferences takes systemic effort.