“I'll be traveling to the state of Goiás in Brazil to conduct research on the 20th-century Brazilian writer José J. Veiga. Though he's been seldom translated into English, Veiga was one of Brazil's most celebrated novelists during his lifetime, known for his surreal and strange fiction, most of which he set in his home state of Goiás. The Stanley Graduate Award for International Research will allow me to investigate the many ways that Goiás’ cultural and regional particularities influenced Veiga’s fiction. This would facilitate not only my translation of his work, but future scholarship in order to introduce Veiga to English-speaking audiences.”

“The Stanley Award for International Research will allow me to spend four weeks in Norway researching and translating the literary manuscripts of Edvard Munch. While Edvard Munch’s paintings rank among the most famous artworks in the world, it is not well-known that Munch also harbored substantial literary ambitions. His personal notebooks contain drafts of stories, novels, poems, aphorisms, and essayistic diary entries. I am working on a book-length collection of translations of Munch’s writings, using translation methods that foreground the link between Munch the artist and Munch the writer. The Stanley Award will allow me to visit Munch’s archives as well as two of his former residences in and near Oslo. These visits, and the research I will be able to conduct at each site, are essential to my project.”

“After the completion of my third semester of coursework at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, I will travel to Aviano, Italy, to conduct research for my MFA thesis in fiction–a full-length novel–as well as my Graduate Certificate in Literary Translation. My project concerns the complexities of regional dialect, linguistic identity, and the ‘Madre Lingua.’ Through this research, I hope to examine the intersection of fiction and translation in real-time–exploring the ways in which the act of translation becomes both a narrator and a character in the stories we tell. By providing me with protected time to finish my manuscript and translation certificate, the Stanley Award will function as crucial scaffolding and support at a pivotal time in my writing life.”

The Center for Language and Culture Learning is sponsoring a translation challenge. Participate by 5/1 to earn a prize!

The University of Iowa Council on Teaching named 29 teaching assistants as recipients of the 2021 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. These awards have been given annually since 1988 to a select group of graduate teaching assistants who have effectively promoted learning and creativity both inside and outside the classroom while demonstrating enthusiasm and dedication to student success. “Teaching assistants are vital to our mission of student success,” says Executive Vice President and Provost Kevin Kregel. “I am grateful for their dedication to our students and I thank them for all that they do to exemplify excellence in our classrooms.”

The University of Iowa is meeting a pressing need for undergraduate training in translation with a new Bachelor of Arts in Translation. Drawing on the university’s recognized strength in writing and communication, the degree will be the first BA in Translation to be offered at a Research 1 university in the U.S. The new major builds on the success of Iowa’s undergraduate minor in Translation for Global Literacy and responds to increasing demand for translation skills in an increasingly international job market.

A new episode of Translators Note audio podcast, , was just released, edited by Claire Breger-Belsky, featuring conversations on Collectives and Community.

Jennifer Shyue, 2020 graduate of MFA in Literary Translation is our our newest recipient of a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts Literary Translation Fellowship. Jennifer also has her translation of Chinese-Peruvian poet, Julia Wong Kcomt’s Bi-rey-Nato/Vice-royal-ties, just published by Ugly Duckling Presse.

Kelsi Vanada and Michelle Gill-Montero, translation and poetry MFA graduates, have been long-listed for the 2022 PEN Literary Prize in Poetry Translation.

Andrea Rosenberg, our Spring ‘22 Translator in Residence and MFALT alum, was selected as the runner-up for the 2021 Queen Sofia Prize, for her translation of Mexican author Aura Xilonen’s The Gringo Champion published by Europa Editions. Andrea will be in Iowa City during the five weeks immediately following Spring Break.