Sep 3, 2026 · 1 hr 7 min · 13 segments
What goes into translating a book from one language to another? How do you preserve something when your task is to change everything? What do translation and travel have in common? And why is…
Jennifer CroftGuestEvan EstrackHostStephanie TamHostStephanie, in addition to the podcast world, you're immersed in the literary world as a writer and an editor.
I'm curious, what is something new that you learned about translation from Jennifer?
The extent of how much collaboration happens to bring a book into another language was fascinating.
And it brings a whole new light to the ideas that writing or translation is, on the one hand, this solitary process, and on the other hand, always in conversation.
I also really liked your discussion on the different analogies and metaphors for how translation works.
It's almost like the process itself requires conceptual translation into these other domains like flying a plane or performing in symphony or acting in a movie.
And something I found interesting was that idea of following the work of a translator as this curator and filter or even a guide.
You know, if you've particularly liked a book in translation, seeing what else the translator decided they want to devote their time and energy to could be a really nice way to discover new literature.
You know, it's almost like visiting a country or a city where you know someone who lives there.
It's a completely different experience than when you're trying to figure out where you should go just based on reviews or guidebooks.
Dropping in somewhere completely new with no expectations also has its perks.
But in my opinion, at least there's really nothing like having a local to guide you through a place, especially if it's a place where you don't speak the language.
In my conversation with Jennifer Croft, you'll remember I mentioned a few examples of authors who have had a huge impact on me, but I only know them through translation.
And so after my conversation with Jennifer Croft, I thought it only right to find out more about the translators.
What did you learn? So I looked through all the books I have by those four authors, a total of 31, and I counted a total of 24 translators.
Stephanie, in addition to the podcast world, you're immersed in the literary world as a writer and an editor.
I'm curious, what is something new that you learned about translation from Jennifer?
The extent of how much collaboration happens to bring a book into another language was fascinating.
And it brings a whole new light to the ideas that writing or translation is, on the one hand, this solitary process, and on the other hand, always in conversation.
I also really liked your discussion on the different analogies and metaphors for how translation works.
It's almost like the process itself requires conceptual translation into these other domains like flying a plane or performing in symphony or acting in a movie.
And something I found interesting was that idea of following the work of a translator as this curator and filter or even a guide.
You know, if you've particularly liked a book in translation, seeing what else the translator decided they want to devote their time and energy to could be a really nice way to discover new literature.
You know, it's almost like visiting a country or a city where you know someone who lives there.
It's a completely different experience than when you're trying to figure out where you should go just based on reviews or guidebooks.
Dropping in somewhere completely new with no expectations also has its perks.
But in my opinion, at least there's really nothing like having a local to guide you through a place, especially if it's a place where you don't speak the language.
In my conversation with Jennifer Croft, you'll remember I mentioned a few examples of authors who have had a huge impact on me, but I only know them through translation.
And so after my conversation with Jennifer Croft, I thought it only right to find out more about the translators.
What did you learn? So I looked through all the books I have by those four authors, a total of 31, and I counted a total of 24 translators.
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