International Translation Day

In this event, we pay tribute to the translators around the world as facilitators of culture transfer. This year, guest speakers will talk about their experiences as translators, the struggles they face, and the translating processes related to different kinds of books. The event will be moderated by Ittinat Seeboonruang.

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Program rundown
4:00 – 4:30 pm
The event will begin with a welcome speech by Maren Niemeyer, the director of Goethe-Institut Thailand, followed by the first conversation with Dr. Renate Birkenhauer, who will introduce the audience to the “Europäisches Übersetzer-Kollegium” (EÜK). The EÜK is a hermitage in Straelen, Germany, where cooperation and exchange between translators take place.

Language: English

4:30 – 5:15 pm “The Punishment”
Choedchawee Sangchandr will share her experience about translating “Strafe” (The Punishment), her third translation of a book by the author Ferdinand von Schirach. We will also have the publisher and editor Ruangdej Chandergiri, who will tell us what distinguishes von Schirach’s works, which are based on law and justice, from other detective novels.

Language: Thai

5:15 – 5:45 pm “Rirkrit Tiravanija: Set, Szenario, Situation. Werke 1987 – 2005”
The session of Sudawan Sindhuprama will discuss the translation of the art book "Rirkrit Tiravanija: Set, Szenario, Situation, Werke 1987-2005", the first book that comprehensively analyses the modern abstract works of the renowned Thai artist Rirkrit Tiravanija–and which proves that translating textbooks is not less challenging than translating literature.

Language: Thai

5:45 – 6:15 pm “Love in Case of Emergency”
In the last part, Piyakal Sinprasert will talk about the challenging experience in translating her first novel, “Love in Case of Emergency” by Daniela Krien, a piece of feminist literature that portrays the love stories of five very different women that are somehow related.

Language: Thai