Niall Sellar
(born 1984 in Edinburgh) translator
Niall Sellar studied German and Translation Studies in Dublin, Konstanz and Edinburgh, and has worked variously as a translator, teacher and reader. Alongside his translation work, he teaches Modern Foreign Languages in Harrow. He lives in London.
Three questions to Niall Sellar
Why did you choose to become a translator?
I knew I wanted to work with language in some capacity, whether it be German or English. Translation has always been there. It was the aspect of language learning I enjoyed the most when studying. There’s something so satisfying about recreating a text in a different language, and making it accessible to a whole new audience.
Which German book do you like the best and why?
Transit by Anna Seghers is a novel that really captured my imagination. It’s set in Marseille, and it’s a fascinating account of what it was like to live in exile during the Hitler Years. Exile literature is something I feel very drawn to.
Is there a particular book you would like to translate?
I’d quite like to have a go at translating Klaus Mann’s Der Vulkan, which is his attempt to chronicle the exile experience. I don’t know if it’s been translated or not.