The seminar focused on Kevin Maher's successful debut novel, "The Fields" (published 2013), which was excellently translated by Alice Hyrmanová McElveen (published by Odeon, 2013), who received a prestigeous award from the Czech Literary Translators´ Guild in 2014.

Along with the Czech Embassy, four Trinity College institutions participated in organisating the seminar: The Arts and Humanities Research Institute, the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, the Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies and the Centre for Literary Translation.

The seminar was moderated by Jana Fischerová, PhD, of the Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies at Trinity College and opening remarks were delivered by Kevin Maher and Alice McElveen. Both authors talked about their approach and creative work on the book/translation, read and explained some particularly interesting passages and answered a number of questions from the audience.

This event was the first one of a new series entitled "Found in Translation - Contemporary Czech and Irish literary works in translation" which the Czech Embassy wants to offer in Dublin every year with the aims of stimulating interest in Czech literature and Czech studies in Ireland and advancing fruitful literary and cultural contacts between both countries.

 

From left: Kevin Maher, Alice Hyrmannová McElveen, Jana Fischerová

 

 Photo by Alžběta Bajgartová