Translation remains inseparable from the study of comparative literature. Far from a simple  attempt to transfer meaning from one language to another, literary translation is a form of hermeneutics and an act of literary creation, grounded in the translator’s particular reading of the source text. Because the translator occupies the unique position of critical interlocutor, discussing the craft of translation itself can generate ways of reading both the translated work and the original.

Reflecting the crucial importance of this field of study, Harvard’s Department of Comparative Literature is launching: Paraphrasis, a podcast dedicated to the art and practice of literary translation. Hosted by Anna Hennigan, each episode focuses on an established translator or a graduate student, asking them how they fell in love with their source text. This simple question results in insightful, at times profound, conversations about moments of encounter, acts of interpretation, and perspectives on foreign literary traditions that lie behind published translations of works from a diverse range of languages.

Paraphrasis is produced in conjunction with the Department’s secondary field in Translation Studies and offers our graduate students an opportunity to share their work and gain valuable training in public humanities. The first episode will be available early 2024 on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Listen and learn more at paraphrasispodcast.com.

–Jess Jensen Mitchell and Lara Norgaard, co-producers