Recorded Program
Not every country enjoys the First Amendment rights granted to Americans. International book banning and censorship restricts diverse narratives and ideas, but one avenue provides an entry to opportunities: U.S. publishing. In this panel discussion, attendees will hear from publishers and translators about how books that were banned in their country of origin found allies within U.S. publishing and translating — and how they can find homes on your library shelves. This program will encourage a broader understanding of international literature, as well as the risks and complications that come with the decision to translate and publish “controversial” works.
Panelists:
Peter Blackstock is a senior editor at Grove Atlantic in New York. His list includes fiction, nonfiction and drama, with a focus on international writing and books in translation. His authors include Viet Thanh Nguyen, Tom Stoppard, Julia Franck, Marceline Loridan-Ivens, Jesse Eisenberg, Will Self, Eve Harris, Andrus Kivirähk, Annick Cojean, Sayaka Murata, and the anonymous author of "The Accusation," Bandi. He lives in Queens.
Susan Harris is the editorial director of Words Without Borders (wordswithoutborders.org) and the co-editor, with Ilya Kaminsky, of "The Ecco Anthology of International Poetry." Words Without Borders expands cultural understanding through the translation, publication and promotion of the finest contemporary international literature. Each month, it publishes eight to twelve new works of contemporary fiction, nonfiction and poetry, never before translated to English, in the free online magazine, Words Without Borders. Words Without Borders has published work from more than 130 countries, translated from more than 112 languages as diverse as Catalan, Faroese, Runyankole-Rukiga, Sinhala, Urhobo, and Uyghur.
A native of Turkey, Inci Sariz is a Ph.D. candidate in Comparative Literature at UMass Amherst. Her dissertation focuses on the interplay of censorship, translation and ideology under authoritarian regimes, with an emphasis on Turkey.
Ross Ufberg is a writer, translator and co-founder of New Vessel Press, a publishing house specializing in literature from around the world. New Vessel has published award-winning books from Argentina, Russia, Lebanon, Italy and elsewhere. None of their books have been banned in the U.S. — yet.
James LaRue (moderator) is director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom and the Freedom to Read Foundation. Author of "The New Inquisition: Understanding and Managing Intellectual Freedom Challenges," LaRue was a public library director for many years (including a 24-year tenure as director of the Douglas County Libraries in Colorado), as well as a weekly newspaper columnist and cable TV host. He has written, spoken and consulted on leadership and organizational development, community engagement and the future of libraries.
Co-sponsored by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, the Association of American Publishers and the Global Literature in Libraries Initiative.
Meeting Type: Program
Content Area: Core Values
Interests: Intellectual Freedom
Type of Library: Academic, Community College, High School, Library School, Middle School, Public, Rural, Student
Sponsors: ALA, OIF
Cost: Included with full conference registration.
Open/Close: Open
Peter Blackstock
Senior Editor
Grove Atlantic
Ross Ufberg
Cofounder
New Vessel Press
Inci Sariz
PhD Student
University of Massachusetts Amherst
James LaRue
Director
Office for Intellectual Freedom & Freedom to Read Foundation, American Library Association
Susan Harris
Editorial Director
Words Without Borders