Nicky Harman: It is worthwhile to be a cultural messenger
By: Star Tang
Caption: Nicky Harman Photo credit: Nicky Harman
Translators play a great role in facilitating the cross-cultural communication. As one of cultural messengers, Nicky Harman translates many Chinese fictions into English. Her most recent work, the translation of Jia Pingwa’s novel Happy Dreams, depicts life in industrializing contemporary China. Apart from translating works, Nicky also runs Paper Republic, along with Eric Abrahamsen, to let more people get to know China.
Caption: Nicky Harman shares her experience about translating Happy Dreams. Photo credit: Star Tang
Paper Republic was founded in 2007 as an online forum for translators of Chinese literature to share information about Chinese books and authors, and discuss how to get them translated and published abroad. Nicky said: “The most important thing we have done in the last couple of years is to put up whole series of translated short stories which introduces contemporary literature to general readers and to publishers.”
The Chinese name for Paper Republic is “纸托邦”，combing two Chinese words which mean ‘paper’ and ‘utopia’ respectively. This platform aims at raising the profile of Chinese literature among readers, editors and journalists, and Nicky said she would be willing to do certain things on a not-for-profit basis.
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“It is quite difficult for Paper Republic to get funding for administration because founders would like to give money for specific projects,” said Nicky. There were also many other challenges in the first place, but all the staff have devoted themselves to this project.
Paper Republic is developing very well now. Its activities include online and offline events and publications. Read Paper Republic is a free online publication initiative, posting and promoting a free-to-view short story every week for reading and discussion. Author events in cities around the world are held regularly. Having cooperated with People's Literature Magazine, Paper Republic has also produced a quarterly English-language literary journal called Pathlight.
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It is currently available in print edition in select bookstores around China, and in e-book version from Amazon and the iTunes bookstore.
Caption: Read Paper Republic. Photo credit:Paper Republic
Caption: Pathlight Magazine. Photo credit:Paper Republic
Through projects such as Read Paper Republic and Pathlight magazine, Nicky hopes to provide new and aspiring translators with opportunities, and professional feedback. According to her, translators who are at the beginning of their career may approach them, and they are pleased to have them try out skills and help them edit their works.
The Paper Republic website is home to an extensive database of Chinese literature and its translation, helping visitors gain an overview of Chinese literature, and its various translations into English. For publishing professionals, Paper Republic runs an annual publishing fellowship in Beijing, helping editors learn more about the Chinese market. Starting in 2015, Paper Republic has organized literary salons to coincide with the Beijing International Book Fair.
Nicky says in the near future, she is going to co-translate and co-publish a literary magazine called Dan Du in China. She really hopes that Paper Republic can bring together a core of those with intimate knowledge of Chinese literature to facilitate both literary and publishing connections between China and the rest of the world.