Shelf Unbound October/November 2013 October 2013 | Page 13
Shelf Unbound: We last spoke to
you in 2011 on the publication of
your translation of Exit by Nelly
Arcan, which was subsequently
nominated for a Governor General’s Award. How did you come to
translate Kolia? And please tell a
bit about the book and its author.
David Scott Hamilton: From what I
understand, House of Anansi offered
me the commission to translate Kolia
on the strength of my translation of
Paradis, clef en main (Exit),
which was very gratifying,
considering that Anansi is
arguably the most prestigious literary press in
Canada. They are committed to publishing translations of titles by Canada’s
best Francophone authors, and
this year they launched a dedicated imprint (Arachnide) for French to
English literary translations. Kolia is
published under this new imprint.
Perrine Leblanc is in her early thirties and is one of Quebec’s brightest
new literary stars. Kolia (originally
published in ]YX?X?[? ? L [?\??H ]H8?&Z?[YH?[??H ?\? ]ZX?? B?X??Y \?H H ?[???Y??[???? X?\?\??[[X\?
\?\?HY?\?X?[?? ?? H??\????[?\?[8?&\?]?\?????[???X?[?[[???[Y\??\??\???\????XH\?\???\????[ ??H?\??]]?H Z?\? X?H[??\??XH[? ?X??? H????\??^H?B??[Y?[?X]K??? [?\? H ?X?[?\??\ ?\??[???[[?\?K\?HXZ?\?\? ?^HX???? H[? ??\H??[?\????Y]\??K] [\ [?? ??[?\? X?H[?[\?[??]\?H ??B?? ?\??]?[[????Y]\?Z[?][????[\?\?B??X?[?\??[?^[\\???\?X?\?? ??[? \?[?H ?X[?Y]\?X?[?[Y??]\? \Y?[??X??]X?[???&\???[\]??Xx?&\???\??^H Z?\?[B?[? H? ??]H\?X?[??%???H B??[Y? ? H?\??\?H?X??Y\?B???????[????^][???XH ?\?B??] [??H ??Y[???\?H [?H ?[??]]?H ? ???X?H?[?\?\?X?Y?X?[[Y[? ?? ??X?H ?[? ?[??][?? \?H ??Y[??[Z[ ??Y\?HY ??K?H\??[??H ?[?Y ?\? ??HX??\?Y???