by Leah Janeczko

In various posts in our Italian Lit Month blog, you’ll find links to Translators Aloud, a YouTube channel that features videos of translators reading passages from their works. Though only four years old, this “voice of translated literature” has already become a household name in the translator community and has gained nearly 2,500 YouTube subscribers and 4,600 Twitter followers.

As explained on their website:

The channel came into being in late May 2020, in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, when Tina Kover posted on Twitter that she was considering uploading a video of herself reading from one of her translations but wasn’t sure if anyone would be interested in watching such a thing. The response was tremendous, both from readers expressing their desire to see a translation read by its creator and from translators who had entertained both similar desires to read their own work publicly, and similar doubts that it would find an audience. Charlie Coombe, surprised that such a platform didn’t already exist for literary translators, suggested to Tina that they create one—and by the end of the day, the YouTube channel that became Translators Aloud was born.

It was an overnight success.

Tina translates from French, and Charlie translates from Spanish, French and more recently, Catalan, but their channel accepts submissions of readings of books from all around the world, as long as one of the languages involved is English. The collection already consists of over 600 videos by some 400 translators working from or into 48 languages.

Though some translations are still seeking a publisher, in most cases the books featured have already been published. The text section below each video provides not only the profiles of the author and translator, but also further information about the book and a link to purchase it.

Translators Aloud dedicates some weeks to specific languages or themes, such as Women in Translation, New Books in German, the Stephen Spender Prize for Poetry in Translation, International Translation Day, Children’s and Young Adult literature, and Jewish Book Week.

Their Italian playlist contains dozens of videos, with readings from novels, essays, children’s books and poetry. Translator Clarissa Botsford has offered viewers a special treat, with bilingual readings alongside her authors Fabio Andina, Viola Ardone, Elvira Dones and Erica Mou. Our Italian Lit Month blog could only accommodate 30 contributors to its 31-day lineup of articles, but thanks to these videos you have the opportunity to hear from many other voices in our chorus of translators singing the praises of books from Italy! Scroll down for the current playlist of Italian readings, but check back with Translators Aloud periodically, because the list continues to grow!

Translators Aloud is a great place to enjoy a quick break while listening to a short reading of international literature, putting a translator’s face (and voice) to their name… and maybe even sipping coffee from a Translators Aloud mug! By buying their merchandise or making a small direct donation, you can help Tina and Charlie sponsor bursaries for translators to attend courses at the University of East Anglia’s British Centre for Literary Translation.

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TRANSLATORS ALOUD’S ITALIAN PLAYLIST (at the time of writing)

• Leah Janeczko reads Roberto Piumini’s poem “Is There Something in the Air?”
• Chiara Salomoni reads three poems by Corrado Govoni (Blue Nib Digital Platform/seeking a publisher)
• Ruth Clarke reads from Silvia Bencivelli’s ‘No Science, No Future’
• Katherine Gregor reads from Stefania Auci’s THE FLORIOS OF SICILY
• Anne Milano Appel reads from Paolo Maurensig’s GAME OF THE GODS (World Editions, January 2021)
• J Ockenden reads from Claudio Morandini’s SNOW DOG FOOT (Peirene Press, 2020)
• Lisa Mullenneaux reads from the poems of Maria Attanasio
• John Taylor reads from Franca Mancinelli’s “Out of focus, out of the fire” (Bitter Oleander Press)
• Alex Valente reads from Valeria Parrella’s ALMARINA (John Murray Press, 2021)
• Valentina Maini and translator Sean McDonagh read from THE MELEE (seeking a publisher)
• Fabio Andina and translator Clarissa Botsford read from FELICE’S POOL (seeking a publisher)
• Viola Ardone and translator Clarissa Botsford read from THE CHILDREN’S TRAIN (Harper Collins, 2021)
• Elvira Dones and translator Clarissa Botsford read from BURNT SUN (seeking a publisher)
• Aaron Robertson reads from Igiaba Scego’s BEYOND BABYLON (Two Lines Press, 2019)
• Arianna Dagnino reads from her self-translated novel THE AFRIKANER with voice actor Dennis Kleinman
• Orsola Casagrande reads from Enrico Palandri’s ‘Atmospheric Conditions’ from THE BOOK OF VENICE
• Georgia Wall reads from Ivo Rosati and Gabriel Pacheco’s THE MAN MADE OF WATER (Seeking a publisher)
• Anna Chiafele & Lisa Pike read from Silvana La Spina’s PENELOPE (Bordighera Press, 2021)
• Erica Mou and translator Clarissa Botsford read from THIRSTY SEA (Héloïse Press, 2022)
• Elizabeth Harris reads from Claudia Durastanti’s STRANGERS I KNOW, (Fitzcarraldo Editions, 2022)
• Clarissa Botsford reads from Concita de Gregorio’s THE MISSING WORD (Europa Editions, 2022)
• Leah Janeczko reads from Roberto Piumini’s GLOWRUSHES (Pushkin Press, 2022)
• Rose Facchini reads from Diego Lama’s “Freedom” (365tomorrows)
• Katherine Gregor reads from Oriana Ramunno’s ASHES IN THE SNOW (HarperCollins, 2022)
• Leah Janeczko reads from Veronica Raimo’s LOST ON ME (Grove Atlantic/Virago Press, 2023)
• Sherry Roush reads from Jacopo Caviceo’s PEREGRINO (University of Toronto Press, 2023)
• Leah Janeczko reads from Stefano Bruscolini’s A MONSTER NAMED BILL (seeking a publisher)
• Brian Robert Moore reads Lalla Romano’s A SILENCE SHARED (Pushkin Press)
• Jeanne Bonner reads the poems of Edith Bruck (seeking a publisher)
• Richard Dixon reads from Paolo Volponi’s THE WORLD MACHINE (Seagull Books/U of Chicago Press, 2024)
• Oonagh Stransky reads from Erminia Dell’Oro’s ABANDONMENT (Héloïse Press, 2024)
• James Ackhurst and Elena Borelli read ‘ALEXANDROS’ from Giovanni Pascoli’s CONVIVIAL POEMS
• with more to come…

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“There are so many undiscovered jewels of Italian literature, and I’m eager to help their voices be heard in English.” —Leah Janeczko, guest curator of the GLLI’s Italian Lit Month

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