"Reviving Turkish Literature in Spanish" with Prof. Rafael Carpintero Ortega

On Monday, November 25, 2024, the Department of English Translation and Interpreting at İzmir University of Economics hosted Prof. Rafael Carpintero Ortega for a seminar titled “Reviving Turkish Literature in Spanish: The Intricacies of Literary Translation.”

The event began with an opening speech by the Head of the Department, Prof. Nihal Yetkin Karakoç. Following the introduction, Prof. Rafael Carpintero Ortega, a distinguished translator of prominent Turkish literary works into Spanish and currently a faculty member at Istanbul University’s Department of Spanish Language and Literature, shared his journey into literary translation.

He highlighted his translations of works by renowned Turkish authors such as Yaşar Kemal, Orhan Pamuk, Ahmet Ümit, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, and Perihan Mağden, providing insights into his career as a translator. Carpintero also mentioned his recent foray into translating children’s books and mentioned his work on graphic novels, Çizgi Roman ve Anlatıbilim.

In the latter part of the seminar, Carpintero focused on the competencies required for literary translators within the PETRA-E framework (Plateforme Européenne pour la traduction littéraire – Education). He elaborated on various competencies, including translational, linguistic, textual, inventive, literary and cultural, professional, evaluative, and research skills, illustrating each with concrete examples. Through this comprehensive approach, Carpintero underscored the multifaceted nature of literary translation.

The event provided participants with a deeper understanding of the intricacies of cross-cultural translation and drew considerable interest from students of the Department of English Translation and Interpreting as well as faculty members and students from other departments. The seminar concluded with an engaging Q&A session, offering an interactive platform for further discussion.