Tuesday 13th August 2013; 7pm to 8.30pm,
CCA Clubroom, Glasgow:
International Event with Pedro Lenz and Donal McLaughlin
The SWC’s renowned international events programme returns, with Swiss writer Pedro Lenz (who held a six-month residency in Glasgow as part of the – then – Glasgow-Berne Literary Exchange in 2005). Pedro has since written his first novel, Der Goalie bin ig, which Donal McLaughlin has translated for Glasgow-based Freight Books as Naw Much of a Talker.
This is translation with a difference: a novel written in a Swiss dialect, translated into the vernacular of Glasgow. As ever, it promises to be a night of fascinating insights into the cultural differences encoded by language, and a chance to appreciate more great writing in translation.
Pedro is an award-winning Swiss writer, famous both for his written work in dialect and for his live performances (which have won him a large and loyal following, in Switzerland and beyond). In the past decade or so, Pedro and his writer colleagues in the group ‘Bern ist ueberall’ (‘Berne is everywhere’) have transformed the perception of dialect literature in Switzerland. Pedro is the author of many books that reflect his involvement in the Swiss ‘Spoken Word’ scene; these include a volume of poems, and a hilarious (spoof) Guide to Provincial Literature in Switzerland.
Donal is a founding member of the Scottish Writers’ Centre, and serves as the organisation’s International Liaison. His first short story collection – An Allergic Reaction to National Anthems & Other Stories (2009) – was longlisted for the Frank O’Connor Short Story Award, and nominated for the EIBF Readers’ Best First Book Award. Donal featured in Best European Fiction 2012 (Dalkey Archive), both as a writer and a translator. His second collection of stories is forthcoming in 2014 (also Dalkey). His translation work includes over one hundred writers for the New Swiss Writing anthologies (2008-2011). He is the English voice of Urs Widmer.
This is a free event, open to all.
