Interview of the month – Robin Waterfield (writer-classic scholar and translator) So, tell us a bit about yourself. Why ancient history and why the Classics? I sort of drifted into studying Classics. I had a traditional British private-school education, in which Latin and Greek featured prominently. I started Latin at age 8 and Greek at 10. Aged 13, I wanted to change to modern…

Interview of the month – David Bellos (Princeton University professor – translator – writer)    First of all, we’d like to say it’s an honour to have you on our blog. We have read your book Is that a fish in your ear? and we would like to ask what drove you to write it. It seems to be directed to a wider audience and not…

Interview of the month – Kleopatra Elaiotriviari (translator – Vice-President of the Panhellenic Association of Professional Translators Graduates of the Ionian University)  Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you decide to pursue a career in translation?  In the early 90s, a family friend mentioned the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting at the Ionian University in Corfu to my mother, which was a…

Interview of the month – Jan Versteeg (Ambassador of the Netherlands in Greece) Orange Grove is a flexible workspace located in Athens where young Greek and Dutch entrepreneurs can work on their business, network and learn. It offers young entrepreneurs the opportunity to start a business in a time when many young Greeks face the tough choice of whether to move abroad to avoid massive unemployment….

Interview of the month – Vassilis Tomanas (translator-publisher) What was it that drew you to translation in the first place and how did you start working in the field? It was by mere chance that I took my first chance with translation.  In 1975, a friend of mine asked me to translate a text from a subversive French magazine. The text intrigued me so…

Interview of the month – Aurora Humarán (Translator – President of IAPTI)   Tell us a bit about yourself. When and how did your relationship with translation start? What is your main specialisation today? I love words and everything that has to do with them. I learned to read by myself at 5 before starting school. I was ill, and had to stay in bed…

Interview of the month – Nikos Sarantakos (Translator for the EU) You work as a translator for the European Parliament. How did you start working as a translator and how would you describe your experience working for one of the EU institutions? Ever since I was young, I had a passion for literature. During my studies at the National Technical University of Athens I…

Tell us a little bit about yourself. When did you realise you wanted to become a writer and how did you start working as a literary translator? I wanted to be a writer from a very young age, but I didn’t know how. I started studying various subjects, and I am still studying today. What’s more, I didn’t want to create a negative image…

Interview of the month – Keith Taylor (Professor at University of Michigan – writer – translator)  Please scroll down to read the interview in Greek. Tell us a bit about yourself. When and how did your relationship with literature and poetry start? What is your main occupation today? I was bitten by poetry early on, maybe at age 11 or 12. I think it…

Interview of the month – Yannis Kalifatidis (Translator – musician) What sparked your interest in translation and music? What is your main occupation today? My relationship with music started in my teenage years. Perhaps out of curiosity, perhaps as a reaction, or maybe as a need to express myself. No matter how it started, the truth is that I spent many years adjusting my…