Translating Hispanic Literatures in the UK: a conversation with publishers

To mark theInternational Translation Day , we invite you to a roundtable discussion exploring the role of translation in bringing global literature to English-speaking audiences. Thanks to the work of translators and publishers, readers can enjoy masterpieces of world literature and connect with stories, voices, and emotions from cultures far beyond their own.

This session will focus on the translation of literature from Spanish, Catalan, Basque, and Galician, and will reflect on the broader challenges and opportunities of publishing translated works in the UK. Some of the participating publishers are based in Manchester, contributing to the city’s vibrant literary scene.

We’ll be joined by:

Tony Frazer from Shearsman Books, a poetry-focused press that publishes around 50 titles a year, including a significant number of works in translation, making it the UK’s largest publisher of poetry in translation.

Jimena Gorráez from Daunt Books Publishing, an independent press known for literary fiction, narrative non-fiction, and modern classics, both in English and in translation.

Michael Schmidt from Carcanet Press, a Manchester-based publisher with a world-class catalogue of modern and classic poetry in English and translation, including works from over 37 languages.

Ra Page from Comma Press, also based in Manchester, known for its commitment to the short story form and its Reading the City series, which explores urban life through fiction in translation and their 'Futures Past' series has delivered ground-breaking anthologies of science fiction in translation from Palestine, Iraq, Kurdistan, among others

Thanks to them, works by authors such as Luis de Góngora, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Federico García Lorca, Rosalía de Castro, Vicente Huidobro, César Vallejo, Alberto Manguel, Mariana Enríquez, Claudia Piñeiro, Nona Fernández, Brenda Navarro and Elisa Levi are within reach of any reader.

The discussion will be informal and open to audience participation. Topics will include the translator’s role, editorial decision-making, market reception, and the cultural value of translated literature.

This event is open to anyone interested in literature, translation, or the publishing industry—whether you're a reader, writer, translator, or simply curious.