ATA: American Translators Association The Voice of Interpreters and Translators ATA Literary Division Beacons X

Beacons – A Journal of Literary Translation

In 1992 members of ATA's Literary Division collaborated in the publication of a collection of literary translations. Editor Cliff Landers titled that first volume Beacons, noting the aptness of the metaphor for many reasons — perhaps none more important than that "A beacon communicates from afar, as do these voices as distant in space as Japan, as remote in time as sixth century Arabia."

The success of that first Beacons led volunteers to work together on almost annual publications of literary translations. What had started out as a one time project became almost a tradition.

Beacons X

From the beginning, Beacons has been a work of art lovingly put together by a chain of dedicated editors. In keeping with tradition, the Editorial Board of this issue selected a broad collection of works from Europe and Latin America, and a good bit from Asia. This tenth edition of Beacons, which is dedicated to Geoff Waters, also marks a number of departures from earlier volumes. Among them:

• Emphasis on the geographical or historical context for contributors rather than the language translated.
• Two new rubrics, "Introducing," in which a seasoned literary translator introduces an author not well known in the U.S., and "Se Habla Español," intended to reflect the growing importance of the Spanish language in the U.S.
• Commentaries for many of the contributions — sometimes by the translators, sometimes by the authors.

There is much to discover in this issue of Beacons. And there is no need to wait — I invite you to begin reading now from the linked selections below.

Michele McKay Aynesworth
Editor, Beacons X

About the Contributors

Beacons X Editorial Board