English Lecturer Wins Translation Challenge

A poem by a lecturer in the English Department at Aberystwyth University has won the translation challenge organised by Translators’ House Wales/Ty Cyfieithu Cymru for the week of the 2009 National Eisteddfod.

Damian Walford Davies was one of 29 people who took up the challenge to write an English version of the English-language poem Slate, Oak, Glass by Gillian Clarke.

His name was announced at a special event held at the Aberystwyth University stand at the National Eisteddfod in Bala on Wednesday 5 August 2009. As well as a lecturer, Damian is also a published poet and won the Chair at the Urdd National Eisteddfod in 1993.

Damian was presented with a Translators' House Wales 2009 Bardic Staff by the Presiding Officer of the National Assembly of Wales Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas and the poet Menna Elfyn, who adjudicated the competition.

Delivering her adjudication, Menna Elfyn commented on the high standard of the entries which had been received.

“Judging the entries wasn't an easy task. Everyone seemed to have interpreted the poem in different ways but I had three translations on my shortlist," she said. "The winning translation reminded me of the work of the poet T Gwyn Jones. It's an excellent, elegant translation and it's a poem if which both the translator and Gillian Clarke can take pride."

"Through the process of translation, a poet is able to keep company with another poet. It forms links and friendships. The translator and the original poet are linked by the blood of the poem," she added.

Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones from the Mercator Institute at the Department of Theatre, Film & Television Studies Department at Aberystwyth University said the competition highlighted the role of translator as creative artist. 

"Translating literature is a creative process and by establishing Translators' House Wales / Ty Cyfieithu Cymru, we hope to give opportunities to both translators and writers to develop and refine the art of translating literature from Wales," she said.

"There are a total of 27 Translators' Houses across Europe but Translators' House Wales /  Ty Cyfieithu Cymru is the first of its kind in the UK and we're pleased that Wales is leading the way in this field."

Translators' House Wales / Ty Cyfieithu Cymru is a partnership between Wales Literature Exchange in Aberystwyth and the Ty Newydd National Writers' Centre in Llanystumdwy, Gwynedd. It offers residences and training opportunities to international translators who translate literature from Wales.

Ty Cyfieithu Cymru also organises short residences abroad for writers from Wales and provides training in translating works from Welsh to English and English to Welsh. The first course will be held in November-December 2009.