Alison L. Strayer and Dan Simon on Nobel Laureate Annie Ernaux

Poured Over

“It is an amazing, amazing translation experience….But it took a long time to get to the point where the language started moving because you have to start out sort of in English laying down a rock, rocks, and then a rock and a rock, building a wall. It doesn't move, and it's just right, right next to the ground. And because you can't obviously start translating in full sentences really. My whole idea was this to just stick absolutely close to the earth of her syntax and build up. And you build and you build and you build and finally something starts to move. And then you can gain some of the movement that you — but in English — that you have sensed and been thrilled by in reading the French.”

Alison L. Strayer has been reading Nobel Laureate Annie Ernaux’s books for 30 years, and has translated the last few, including The Years, nominated for the International Man Booker Prize. Alison and Dan Simon of Seven Stories Press, Annie’s longtime American publisher, join us on the show to talk about working with the iconic French author, the joys of literature in translation, capturing Ernaux’s voice and sensibilities and the emotional truth of her genre-bending prose for English-speaking audiences and more with Poured Over’s host, Miwa Messer.

Featured Books:

The Years by Annie Ernaux, translated by Alison L. Strayer

A Girl’s Story by Annie Ernaux, translated by Alison L. Strayer

Getting Lost by Annie Ernaux, translated by Alison L. Strayer

Poured Over is produced and hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).