POTPiRiVANJE
POTPiRiVANJE, the Croatian translation of The Fire Starters has recently launched in Croatia and I wanted to introduce you all to the fantastic translator who’s done such an amazing job, bringing this novel to a Croatian audience.
I first met Una Krizmanić Ožegović in Zagreb a few years back at the Festival of the European Short Story. Like all the Croatians I’ve ever come across she was incredibly warm, friendly and hospitable. We chatted about our love of the short story and various other shared passions, competing to be heard over very loud music outside a city centre bar. Afterwards, we kept in touch via social media and last year, when Hena Com bought the rights to The Fire Starters for Croatia, I was delighted to hear Una would be working on the translation.
As you can see Hena Com have done an amazing job on the design work for POTPiRiVANJE and though I don’t speak that much, (any), Croatian I have been reliably informed that Una has done the most beautiful job on translating both the story and the spirit of my novel. I’m so pleased it will find new readers in Croatia and also grateful that once again my stories have fallen into the hands of such a talented and careful translator. I’m in awe of what translators do and so I wanted to honour all the creativity and hard work Una’s poured into my novel by asking her a few searching questions so you can all get to know her too.
If you’re posting or sharing about POTPiRiVANJE please be sure to credit Una too. In my opinion a good translation is a work of co-creation or collaboration so this new Croatian novel belongs to her as much to me.
Interview with Una Krizmanić Ožegović
1. How did you come to work on The Fire Starters? The Fire Starters was one of Ana Hadžić's amazing picks before she left Hena Com. I had worked with her previuosly on Brother by David Chariandy, and I can see that both books deal with heavy topics of a specific place or neighbourhood, family histories and what we have been passed on, so I couldn't wait to dig into the difficult, complex, endearing narratives. When she gave me the green light, I was thrilled! You had made such a great impact at the Festival of Short Stories in 2018 and I was so happy to meet you. So, when your book came my way, I think all of us said it was meant to be. I know, so sentimental.
2. What was your favourite part of working on this novel? Where do I begin? I can say that this was one of the smoothest translations I had ever executed. The language plays such an important role and you use it wittily to your advantage - there is an ebb and flow to the text that to me seems to mirror the magic call of the siren. The characters were captivating, there is a great balance between the protagonists' voices and those with a smaller part to play, especially the Unfortunate Children. Also, it was an emotional journey because of the family and community dynamics, even the social circumstances are quite similar to mine here in Croatia, so there was a lot to process. We are no stranger to many, many divides.
3. What was the most challenging part of this translation? I think the fact that the book really is so touching. I had to prepare myself emotionally to work on it. Even after a few readings, I was still weeping and editing and laughing. The general assumption was that the language and the context would be tricky, but my great wish was that the fiery, messy heart of this astonishing novel shines through and hopefully my teary-eyed approach made that happen.
Una is a fantastic translator and a thoroughly decent human being. If you’re looking for a Croatian translator give me a shout and I’ll put you in touch. Here’s a little more info about her and a picture of her in some really wonderful glasses:-
Una's interest in literary translation was formed through translation workshops held by Tomislav Kuzmanović around 2011. Soon after that, she began translating for the European Short Story Festival which remains one of her most permanent gigs. Her literary translations include short stories and novels from English and Portuguese speaking authors, Adriana Lisboa, Ondjaki, Bruno Vieiria Amaral and now Jan Carson, to name a few. She has worked with many cultural organisations, museums, galleries, artists, NGOs. She is currently employed full-time as an administrative assistant. She lives, works and dreams in Zagreb.
