Welcome to Translate in the Catskills

Translate in the Catskills is a three-day master class in writing for premium-market translators, held every other summer in Maplecrest, New York. It brings together some of the most dynamic translators working in the industry today. Past instructors include Chris Durban, David Jemielity, Dominique Jonkers, François Lavallée, Grant Hamilton, Nicolas Froeliger and Ros Schwartz.

The event has two tracks: one for translators who work into French, and one for translators who work from French and other languages into English. Sessions focus on a variety of topics: writing proper, translation for specific business sectors, literary translation, client relations and even “term surgery” sessions highlighting a single word or expression.

Translate in the Catskills is held at the Catskill Mountain Foundation’s Sugar Maples Center for Creative Arts, where the on-site lodge, library and art studios provide a beautiful and energizing atmosphere.

Catskills translators in the news!

We’re thrilled to announce that Translate in the Catskills 2009 & 2011 instructor Dominique Jonkers and 2011 attendee Lisa Carter have recently been honored for their outstanding translations.

In December, Dominique won the French Translators’ association’s annual Pierre-François Caillé award for his Dutch to French translation of author and serial entrepreneur Leen Zevenbergen’s En morgen laat ik mijn baard staan, published in French as Brûle Ta Cravate et Danse. This book had previously been selected as the Dutch management book of the year in 2006.

In November, Lisa’s translation of José Rodrigues dos Santos’ novel A Fórmula de Deus, published in English as The Einstein Enigma, was nominated for the 2012 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. The IMPAC Dublin award is the largest and most international prize of its kind, recognizing “new works of high literary merit in the English language.”

Congratulations to Dominique and Lisa and thank you for sharing your talents with the Translate in the Catskills community!

2011 Translation Contest: the results are in!

Congratulations to the winners of the 2011 Translate in the Catskills translation contest:

• Honorable Mention: Alan Tolerton and Mylène Vialard for posting the first entries in the French to English and English to French categories; Anne-Marie Robert for the most creative entry (a technical translator’s take on “Blowin’ in the Wind”)
• English to French winner: Maxime Carpentier
• French to English winner: Kate Forster

Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry, and to everyone who voted!

Join the Translate in the Catskills mailing list

If you would like to join the Translate in the Catskills no-spam mailing list, click here. We won’t share your e-mail address with anyone, and we’ll send you the latest updates on our future conferences!

2011 Translation Contest is Open!

The Translate in the Catskills 2011 translation contest is here!

To enter, please select either the English to French passage or the French to English passage. To submit your entry:

• If you attended Translate in the Catskills, use the Comments box on the English to French or French to English page
• If you did not attend Translate in the Catskills, use the Comments box on the Non-alumni submissions page

The official contest is open only to Translate in the Catskills alumni, but we encourage others (translation students, teachers, aspiring translators, etc.) to work on one of the passages and compare their translation to the winning entry.

The contest will be open until October 22. We’ll then have a voting phase from Oct. 23 to 27, and the winners will be announced immediately after Grant Hamilton’s presentation “Translating for Quebec,” scheduled for 11:30-12:20 on Thursday, October 27 at the American Translators Association conference in Boston. Thank you for participating!

Post-hurricane update

Sadly, the Maplecrest area experienced severe flooding during Hurricane Irene just a few weeks after Translate in the Catskills 2011. Numerous homes in the area were swept away or destroyed, and at least one person was killed in Maplecrest. The main bridge into Maplecrest was also washed away; you can read the New York Times coverage here. Pastor Al Bugos let us know that the Fellowship Center operated by the Living Faith Community Church (kindly lent to us for the Translate in the Catskills plenary sessions) is now operating as a food and water station for people in Maplecrest who have run out of supplies. Donations are welcome; please direct them to: Al Bugos, pastor; Living Faith Community Church; 58 Route 56; Maplecrest NY 12454.

Translate in the Catskills: August 12-14, 2011

Thanks to everyone who made Translate in the Catskills 2011 a success! With 50 participants and top-notch instructors, our three day conference brought together some of the most energetic minds working in translation today. Thanks also to Pastor Al Bugos for allowing us to use his church’s community hall and gym and to the folks at the Catskill Mountain Foundation for all of their help in organizing the conference.

2009 participants said…

“A big “thank you” to the excellent presenters and organizers for this wonderful learning experience. The company was the best, the atmosphere unbeatable, and it was so deeply satisfying and energizing to work together – although it felt more like calm, focused play in that comfortable, casual setup, with natural beauty all around us. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
–Stephanie Cash, attendee

“This has been one of the most *energizing* translators’ events I’ve ever experienced in my professional life. Translating is Writing. And writing is all about creativity, about unleashing whatever creative potential is in you. Thanks to my fellow speakers, I have explored new ways to do just that – even in the seemingly “dry” world of financial translation. Que demander de plus ? Many thanks to all.”
–Dominique Jonkers, instructor

“Since I attended Translate in the Catskills 2009, my clients have complimented my writing more than they did in the previous six years combined. The instructors really helped me break out of my ‘But that’s not what the French says!’ mindset and focus on writing authentic English documents that “sing.” In addition, the seminar was great fun and an excellent opportunity to connect with like-minded translators in a gorgeous setting.”
–Corinne McKay, attendee