A translation workshop led by Heidi Clark

Japan has an undertranslated tradition of very short fiction. From Hoshi Shin'ichi's light and fun 'short-shorts' to Yasunari Kawabata's highly literary 'palm of the hand' stories, these stories are diverse and are widely enjoyed in Japanese.

However, a tiny story may not mean a tiny amount of work for a translator. What happens when an entire story hinges on one language-specific pun? What does a translator do to keep a translation brief when it threatens to expand? How does a translator convince a press to publish a collection of very short stories?

We will focus on puns, humour and other translation challenges of tiny fiction, with translated examples to help understand the work involved in reshaping a small story in another language.

This creative and playful workshop would appeal to anyone with an interest in translated literature and the choices made in the process of translation.

No prior knowledge of Japanese language is required.

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Heidi Clark is a Japanese-to-English literary translator, zine-maker and co-founder of the Translators’ House Press. She writes, makes and publishes work which illuminates the role of the translator and experiments with form. Her translation of Nakanishi Morina’s essay *Dried Seaweed at Midnight* is published in Asymptote Journal. She holds an MA in Literary Translation from the University of East Anglia.