By Literary Hub | Created at 2026-09-30 10:35:15 | Updated at 2026-09-30 13:54:33
4 hours ago
Celebrating an Essential Literary Art
This first appeared in Lit Hub’s Literary History newsletter—sign up here.
Today is International Translation Day. The date was chosen by the United Nations to coincide with the feast of St. Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin (his version is now known as the Vulgate) and is considered to be the patron saint of translators. He is also considered by some to be the patron saint of “irascible, morbidly sensitive old curmudgeons,” which tracks. (Scholars, amirite?)
The resolution, passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2017, affirms, among other things, that “professional translation, as a trade and an art, plays an important role in upholding the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, bringing nations together, facilitating dialogue, understanding and cooperation, contributing to development and strengthening world peace and security.” Which is certainly true. Also, books in translation are fun to read.
Want to hear some more about literary translation from the experts? Read:
Anton Hur on the myth of the finicky English reader and the future of literary translation • Idra Novey on writing while translating • Damion Searls on why close reading is an essential part of literary translation • Kristen Renee Miller on why every writer should learn how to translate • Chloe Garcia Roberts on the reasons for hope in the field of translation • Moeen Farrokhi on translating Infinite Jest into Farsi • Michael R. Katz on translating The Brothers Karamazov into English • Elena Marcu on translating Giovanni’s Room into Romanian • Lawrence Venuti on the new and shifting role of the translator • Emily Wilson and Leanne Ogasawara in conversation • Lizzie Buehler on how translating Korean literature made her a better fiction writer • Sasha Senderovich and Harriet Murav on translating Holocaust literature in times of genocide.
Just want some book recommendations? We’ve got you covered:
The 10 Best Translated Novels of the Decade • Reading Around the World: 17 Great Books in Translation From University Presses • Translating in Tandem: A Reading List of Collaborative Translated Literature • See the World Through Books: A Reading List from Bookselling Without Borders • Chilling Lit: Six Novels in Translation That Blend Folktales and Horror • Ten Titles in Translation That Celebrate Ukraine.
Or find even more on translators and translation in our archives.
