Yiddish Book Center Plans Translation Conference

From the Yiddish Book Center:

The Yiddish Book Center and the Fund for Translation of Jewish Literature are proud to announce a working conference entitled, “Translating Yiddish Literature: Mobilizing a New Generation.” The event will take place at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA on Saturday evening, November 12, and Sunday, November 13, 2011. Established and aspiring translators, publishers, students and scholars are invited to attend.

This conference comes at a moment of great urgency and promise. Less than two percent of Yiddish literature has been translated to date, and despite recent efforts (such as the New Yiddish Library), at the current rate it will be another 25,000 years before all Yiddish titles are accessible to English readers.

The goal of the conference, therefore, is to spark a concerted, all-out effort to translate the best of Yiddish literature into English.

For the program and other information, visit the conference webpage. NB: “Limited travel subsidies” are available (apply by September 20).