Happy International Translation Day!

At the end of this month

translators and the translation

community all over the world

will celebrate the 4th edition of

the International Translation

Day. The 30th of September is

not just the end of the first

month of autumn, but also the

day of St. Jerome, a saint mostly

known for his early and much

appreciated translation of the

Bible from Hebrew into Latin. He

is recognised today as the

patron saint of translators.

The International Federation of Translators* started to celebrate this day

since 1991 as an effort to promote the translation profession in different

countries and since then it has become a reference day for everyone in the

translation field. Their intention was to raise awareness of how important is

the work of professional translators. Without their expertise, it is difficult to

work successfully across borders. However, this profession was and, to some

extent, still is ignored.

Not only professional translators, interpreters or, as they are also called, cross-

cultural communication specialists are to participate at this celebration, but

also students who train to become professionals, publishers, editors,

reviewers, booksellers and anyone interested in an inter-cultural language

exchange and keen on exploring new ideas and initiatives.

This year, International Translation Day will take place at the British Library.

This year’s programme will include a series of seminars about important

aspects and upcoming challenges in the business of translation: Getting started

in translations, Reviewing translations, Making a perfect pitch, or Wasting time

online – which digital projects are worth the efforts? The seminars will be

chaired by a guest host, but personal opinions of the public, examples of best

practices and questions are strongly encouraged. You can access the full

programme here.

Tickets for International Translation Day are available from the British Library

website.

*The International Federation of Translators is the world federation of professional associations

bringing together translators, interpreters and terminologists. It has 107 members in over 60

countries and represents more than 80,000 professionals.