From governments to cultural gatekeepers, institutions to translators themselves, competing forces have long shaped which stories get told and how.
Join us for a compelling conversation, co-presented by the PEN America Translation Committee, featuring translators Michael Eskin, Sawad Hussain, and Monica Cure alongside award-winning translator and event moderator Sandra Smith. This discussion will ask what happens when a translation threatens the status quo and what are the choices translators face when navigating political pressure, cultural sensitivities, or institutional demands. They will unpack the different pressures that have shaped translations throughout history. From redactions by authoritarian regimes to edits driven by publishers’ fears, this discussion will surface the complex dance between creative choice, fidelity, and censorship that translators at times must navigate.
