'Convenience Store Woman' and the art of translation w/ Ginny Tapley Takemori
Episode 67, Oct 08, 2020, 10:00 AM
Ginny Tapley Takemori discusses the process of translating Japanese literature into English — an art that’s brought us the books of Japanese authors such as Yukio Mishima, Haruki Murakami and more recently a slew of new Japanese writers, particularly younger women such as Sayaka Murata and Mieko Kawakami.
Ginny Tapley Takemori is probably best known for her 2018 translation of "Convenience Store Woman," the bestselling novel by Sayaka Murata, which won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize when it was first published in Japanese in 2016. Like the original, the English translation was a bestseller, and the author and translator have collaborated again to translate Murata’s 11th novel, "Earthlings," which was published at the beginning of October. We hear from Ginny about the art of translation and why she thinks we should all be reading more books from other cultures.
Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by Elite Havens. This ski season, enjoy a 15% discount on Elite Havens' Niseko accommodations for bookings confirmed from now until Nov. 30, 2020, for stays between Dec. 24 and March 31, 2021. Enjoy an additional 5% off your next booking when you book now. Just mention the promo code JAPANTIMES to your reservation specialist. Terms and conditions apply.
Read more:
Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by Elite Havens. This ski season, enjoy a 15% discount on Elite Havens' Niseko accommodations for bookings confirmed from now until Nov. 30, 2020, for stays between Dec. 24 and March 31, 2021. Enjoy an additional 5% off your next booking when you book now. Just mention the promo code JAPANTIMES to your reservation specialist. Terms and conditions apply.
Read more:
- Reviews of new and classic books in The Japan Times Books section
- In "Convenience Store Woman," Sayaka Murata questions normality in modern Japan (Nicolas Gating, The Japan Times)
- Sayaka Murata's 'Earthlings': Alienated misfits fight against the ties that bind (Kris Kosaka, The Japan Times)
- Strong woman, soft power (David Jacobson, GLLI)
- Order a copy of 'Earthlings' (Granta)
On this episode:
Ginny Tapley Takemori: Author profile
Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram
Announcements:
Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp.
Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback.
This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times.
Photo: Sayaka Murata's "Convenience Store Women"
Ginny Tapley Takemori: Author profile
Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram
Announcements:
Sign up to the Deep Dive mailing list and be notified every time a new episode comes out. Get in touch with us at deepdive@japantimes.co.jp.
Support the show! Rate us, review us and share this episode with a friend if you've enjoyed it. Follow us on Twitter, and give us feedback.
This episode of Deep Dive may be supported by advertising based on your location. Advertising is sourced by Audioboom and is not affiliated with The Japan Times.
Photo: Sayaka Murata's "Convenience Store Women"