Escapades in Catalonia

The Catalan translation of my short story Escapades in Time is now out in issue #32 of Catarsi magazine. I was last in this magazine in issue #1 back in 2009. 

 This is the fourth language for this dialogue-only story.

Escapades in Catalan

 My short story Escapades in Time has been accepted by Catalan magazine Catarsi, which I'm very pleased about, having last appeared in issue #1 back in 2009.

This story has previously been published in English, Galician and Spanish.

Translator Interview: Louise Johnson

Languages and translation has long intrigued me, and I've read quite a number of translated novels.  After reading Andrea Victrix, I had a lot of questions about the author and about the translation of his work. I arranged to meet Louise Johnson, translator of the novel, in Mallorca where the novel is set. Sadly, due to Covid, that wasn't possible, so we corresponded by email instead.

Read the interview at SF Crowsnest.

Book Review: Andrea Víctrix by Llorenç Villalonga

Hailed as a classic of dystopian literature in Catalan, Llorenç Villalonga’s 1974 novel Andrea Víctrix has now been translated into English for the first time and published by specialist small press Fum D’Estampa Press.

Read the rest of my review at SF Crowsnest.

The Gondolier Reprint: Catalan

The Catalan translation of The Gondolier, along with an audio version, appeared on the website MLN Langauages, which has since disappeared. I'm afraid the audio version is lost, but here's the text version.

El Gondoler

 

La negra proa de la meva góndola es desplaçava suaument a través de les tranquiles aigües dels canals. L'elegant embarcació m'havia fet bon servei durant molts anys, i havia transportat passatgers a través de les vies aquàtiques de la ciutat a mans de vàries generacions d'avantpassats.

El sol es ponia sobre l'antiga ciutat, transformant l'aigua en una cinta de tinta col·locada entre edificis elegants de pedra sorrenca. Vaig inhalar profundament la brisa fresca de la vesprada.

Hi havia algun lloc més bonic que aquesta marevallosa ciutat de canals? Mentres la barca entrava al moll, em vaig parar a contemplar amb satisfacció com s'enfosquia el cel de Mart.

Translated by Gemma Sellarés i Pujol

Roadmaker Shortlisted for Ictineu Award

The Catalan translation of Roadmaker that appeared in Catarsi #1 has been shortlisted for the Ictineu Awards, in the Best Translated Story category. Also nominated is fellow linguaphile and multiply translated author Frank Roger, and Spanish author Santiago Examino, former editor of Efimeras who translated some of my flash fiction into Spanish.

This is the first time one of my stories has been shortlisted for anything, and I'm very pleased.

Iberian Polyglot

The Gondolier has been translated into 5 langauges from the Iberian peninsula. Here they are all together, to read and compare.

El Gondolero (Spanish)
El Gondoler (Catalan)
L Gundoleiro (Mirandes)
O Gondoleiro (Galician)
O Gondoleiro (Portuguese)




La negra proa de mi góndola se deslizaba suavemente a través de las calmadas aguas de los canales. La elegante embarcación me había servido bien durante muchos años, llevando a los pasajeros a través de los cursos de agua de la ciudad, creados por las sabias manos de generaciones de mis antepasados.

La negra proa de la meva góndola es desplaçava suaument a través de les tranquiles aigües dels canals. L'elegant embarcació m'havia fet bon servei durant molts anys, i havia transportat passatgers a través de les vies aquàtiques de la ciutat a mans de vàries generacions d'avantpassats.

La proua negra de mie góndola slubiaba calmamente pulas serenas augas de las canales. La eilegante ambarcaçon habie-me serbido bien por muitos anhos, lhebando ls passageiros pulas canales d'auga de la cidade, criadas pulas sabidas manos de giraçones de antrepassados mius.

A negra proa da miña góndola corta suavemente as calmadas augas dos canais. A lustrosa embarcación serviume ben durante moitos anos, levando aos pasaxeiros a través dos canais da cidade baixo as mans dirixentes das xeracións dos meus antepasados.

A proa negra de minha gôndola cortou suavemente através das calmas águas do canal. A elegante embarcação tem servido por muitos anos através dos canais aquíferos da cidade, pelas mãos guiadoras de meus antepassados.

El sol caía sobre la ciudad, transformando el agua en una cinta manchada de tinta que yacía entre elegantes edificios de piedra arenisca. Respiré profundamente el fresco aire nocturno.

El sol es ponia sobre l'antiga ciutat, transformant l'aigua en una cinta de tinta col·locada entre edificis elegants de pedra sorrenca. Vaig inhalar profundament la brisa fresca de la vesprada.

L sol çponie-se porriba la cidade antiga, streformando l'auga nua cinta tenhida antre eilegantes casas de cantarie. Respirei perfundamente l aire fresco de la nuite.

O sol ocultábase sobre a antiga cidade, tornando as augas nunha cinta negra estendida entre os edificios de pedra arenisca. Respirei fondo a fresca airexa do serán.

O sol caía sobre a cidade ancestral, transformando a àgua numa
tintura escarlate entre os elegantes edifícios de arenito. Eu respirei
profundamente a brisa fresca da tarde.

¿Existía lugar más hermoso que aquella maravillosa ciudad de canales? Cuando el barco quedó amarrado me detuve a admirar, satisfecho, cómo se oscurecía el cielo de Marte.

Hi havia algun lloc més bonic que aquesta marevallosa ciutat de canals? Mentres la barca entrava al moll, em vaig parar a contemplar amb satisfacció com s'enfosquia el cel de Mart.

Eisiste lhugar mais guapo que aqueilha ancrible cidade de canales? Anquanto prendien l barco, parei-me a cuntemplar, cun sastifaçon, cumo se asselumbraba l cielo de Marte.

Haberá algún sitio máis fermoso que esta marabillosa cidade de canais? Mentres a barca entraba coidadosamente na súa amarradoira, parei a contemplar con satisfación cómo se escurecían os ceos de Marte.

Existiria aí fora um lugar mais lindo do que essa maravilhosa
cidade de canais? Enquanto a embarcação deslizava para seu atracadouro
eu me detive a admirar, satisfeito, o crepúsculo de Marte.



Spanish translation by Santiago Examino. First published in Efimeras. Reprinted in Quimicamente Impuro.

Catalan translation by Gemma Sellarés i Pujol. First published in MLN Langauges.

Mirandes translation by Cristóvão Pires. First published in Froles Mirandeses.

Galician translation by Ana Xaubet. First published in Nova Fantasia.

Portuguese translation by Mauricio Barbosa. First published in I Lusiadas.

The Catalan Gondolier

Linguist Jim Morrison has arranged for The Gondolier to be translated into Catalan. You can read and listen to the translation over on his website. This is the 23rd language for The Gondolier, and the first translation you can listen to.

Roadmaker Translation Reviewed

A review of Catalan magazine Catarsi appears on the website El Kraken today. Translated into English the meaning isn’t always entirely clear, but in part it says of Roadmaker:

The point is that Jones tells his story with simple sentences, made little, also, just after the story has a tendency to think that is a down ... but if you reflect, you can read between the lines and maybe ... will become a more developed story than we thought.

This road can be at once a metaphor for the progress but also of the uncertainty of a future that can not be anticipated. However, it is sometimes a story a little upset.

Literature and Flowers

Today is St George's day, both in England (where most people probably haven't realised) and in Catalonia, wherer the occasion is marked with a celebration of literature and flowers.



Timed to coincide with this, the first issue of Catarsi is officialy released today, including my story Roadmaker. Unlike most small press genre magazines in the UK that are spurned by magazine stockists, Catarsi is being stocked in several shops in Barcelona and elsewhere. Or you can buy it from their website.

It wasn't until today that I realised the significance of the cover art.

Two More Stories

I can barely keep up this week and my submission tracking spreadsheet is beginning to smoke.

I’ve heard from the editors of Catarsi that my contributor copy is on its way. The magazine won’t be on sale until April 23rd, when the Catalan translation of Roadmaker will be unleashed in Catalonia.

Meanwhile, the Spanish translation of Parallels, that originally appeared in flash fiction webzine Efimeras, has been reprinted in Breves No Tan Breves.

Astonishingly, this makes 7 stories published in 10 days.

More Roadmaker News

The launch date for issue #1 of Catalan magazine Catarsi has been set for April 23rd and the cover art has now been revealed:





This is the second magazine that I’ve made it into issue #1, the other being Murky Depths. It makes me feel particularly close to both mags, being there at the start.

Roadmaker Nears Catalonia

The first issue of Catalan science fiction magazine Catarsi is almost ready. The editors asked for my bio this week and the table of contents is up on their blog. You can read the English Google translation here, where you’ll see that Roadmaker becomes Road Openers in Catalan, or maybe only when translated back into English again.

I’m sharing the billing with Santiago Examino, formerly the editor of Efimeras, who has translated six of my flash fiction stories into Spanish.

Roadmaker is also due to appear in Hebrew in Bli Panika this year. Dog’s Best Friend, set in the Roadmaker world, is due to appear in Jupiter and has been translated into Bengali. I have yet to find a market for that though.

The Road to Catalonia

Not the title of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby film, but news that Roadmaker is being translated into Catalan and should appear in the first issue of new magazine Catarsi in April.

That will be three languages for Roadmaker, having already been accepted by Hebrew magazine Bli Panika.

Translations and Publications

No sooner has Spanish flash fiction webzine Efimeras come to an end, than a trio of new webzines appear:


Rafagas Parpadeos for stories up to 39 words

Quimicamente Impuro between 40 and 149 words

Breves No Tan Breves from 150 to 750 words.


I immediately sent off 2 of my stories – Launch and Frozen - and they were accepted in record time. That will take my total of Spanish stories up to 9 when they appear. The new webzine have also agreed with Efimeras to reprint some of their stories, so El Gondolero, Reaccion Tardia, El Ultimo Adan and Dios Anos an el Bar will be reprinted too.

The Catalan SF society Ter-Cat have launched their new fanzine Catarsi and plan to publish their first issue in April. I've already sent in a submission.

Meanwhile over at Murky Depths there’s a special 3 for 2 offer on the first 3 issues. If you missed them along with Looking In, Looking Out that received several positive comments then they’re definitely worth picking up.

My multilingual flash fiction project is also steadily making progress with contacts now established with speakers of various languages. Still,let me know if you can help.