ITA Conference 2020 - Day 2

Day two was good, too (pardon the obvious pun.)
The only problem is, that I waited too long to write this post, have forgotten much of what I heard, and must now rely on my skimpy notes. On the positive side, this might turn out to be a shorter post, and less time-consuming for you guys to read! Always look on the bright side, etc etc.

On the second day I made my life easier by deciding to skip the first session, which meant I could get up at 07:00 instead of 06:00 (sheer torture for me). I didn't mind missing Moshe Devere's talk about MemoQ for newbies, because I don't intend to get into CAT tools; (of course I can always change my mind!) and I didn't mind missing Liron Kranzler-Feldman's session about developing translator-client relationships because I'm not looking for clients. Ah, the privileges of being retired!

So once again I was in ZOA's Marlen Hall. This entire session, until lunch break, was in the hands of eight capable and interesting speakers representing the Israeli Union of Literary Professionals. Sounds better in Hebrew: איגוד אנשי הספר - Igud Anshei HaSefer - people of the book. (Sorry - the site is only in Hebrew. Someone should probably suggest that it be translated into English and other languages, hint hint, nudge nudge.) Each speaker was limited to ten minutes.

The first speaker was Yinon Kachtan, committee member of the above Union. If you're not in the field of writing, translating, publishing etc, you have no idea what we're up against, how underpaid these professions are, and how important it is to unite, achieve solidarity, and together strive to improve our rights and terms of work. So we should all be thankful that Kachtan and his colleagues have picked up the glove. His professional website is fascinating; pity it's only in Hebrew.

Next was Yaniv Farkas, a freelance English>Hebrew translator. Unfortunately, the cryptic title of his talk, "Mapping Israel's book market players onto Game of Thrones' finest", was lost on me, because I don't watch Game of Thrones. Luckily, my son read A Song of Ice and Fire (by George R. R. Martin), on which the TV series is based, and explained Yaniv's Hebrew title -- שוק הספרים בישראל: בין בנק הברזל להולכים הלבנים. So now I get it: Yaniv used the Iron Bank and the White Walkers as metaphors for the powerful, ruthless elements which we, the people of the book, must deal with in order to make a living.

Asaf Bareket, owner and chief editor of Ocean Publishing House had the brilliant idea of creating the Adventure series, which is dedicated to beautiful new editions of children's and young adult classics. Nostalgia had me qvelling in my seat, as I re-lived, for a few blissful moments, many happy reading-hours: Bambi, The Glass Slipper, The Prince and the Pauper, Black Beauty, Tarzan of the Apes, Oliver Twist, Pollyanna, Peter Pan, Around the World in Eighty Days, and many more.
Thing is, most of these books had been translated into Hebrew ages ago. As we know, the Hebrew language has developed and recent translations sometimes sound to us (old timers) a bit too "modern". In many instances, we're emotionally attached to the old version. The trick is to retain the feel of, say, 19th century England, yet make the text fluent and accessible to today's youngsters. I got the impression that the Bareket brothers chose their translators carefully, and hope to god that they did a good job. Once my grandkids get their hands on some of these books (with my encouragement and help, I hope) I will find out for myself. (Yes, I know I can find them in the local library! But who has time to go to the library?...)

Dr. Hamutal Ben Dov, co-manager of Bear in Mind publishing, spoke about the desirable cooperation between publishers and the Union of Literary Professionals. The company's online shop, with its selection of educational books and games that feel more like fun than like "learning" or "studying", is very attractive. It reminded me of the [defunct] educational software company LOGAL, whose software at the time was groundbreaking, fascinating, and fun. (Worked there for 10 years!) Anyway -- I regret to say that I didn't take any notes during Dr. Ben Dov's talk, and have nothing more to say... Except that I wish the site was available also in English.

Much-needed brief coffee-break.

Next: The Odd Couple ;-)  Just kidding - they're not odd, they work really well together, and are both entertaining and edifying: Rachel Halevy, editor; Yaniv Farkas, translator. The first time I saw them "perform" was at the 2005 conference, in their joint talk/presentation about their Hebrew translation of Huckleberry Finn. I must have been busy enjoying the show, because I didn't take any notes. Besides, I have worked with Rachel Halevy once, on a novel. I don't usually translate from English to Hebrew, so felt a bit insecure, and having Rachel as editor was a blessing. Every few days I'd send her a Word document with a table: on the left was the problematic sentence/s in English, on the right my question or suggestion. She'd get back to me with clear, super-helpful replies. The book in question was The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares.

Hamutal Yellin, a literary translator and editor, and active board member of the Literary Union mentioned above, accomplished a helluva lot in her allotted 10 minutes. She gave a wonderfully succinct and clear presentation of the current literary-translation market in Israel, from our point of view. "Our" meaning us, professional literary translators and editors, who work hard for every shekel. The situation sucks. Publishing houses don't pay well, don't give raises over time, aren't fair or consistent in their methods of calculating the payments due, and overall do not treat us fairly. Which does not bode well for the future of this profession, for the future of people practicing it, and the future of translated literature in the country.

Implications of the current situation

What can we do about it?

We join forces!

We join forces, that's what; we unionize. Together we're stronger.
We share information; it's easier for publishers to get their way when we don't have the full picture.
We negotiate and haggle, for better rates, better terms of payment, all reflecting our true worth.
We support and help each other.

Inbal Sagiv Nakdimon, with a track record of over 160 translated books, plus more on the front and back burners, needed to find a subject she could squeeze into 10 minutes, and chose "Measure for Measure". How do we decide when to change miles into kilometers for the sake of Hebrew readers, the feet into meters, the ounces and pounds into kilograms? Surely Jane Austen's heroines didn't think in kilometers-per-hour, when discussing the time it would take their horse and carriage to trot from their "humble" home to the next town?
And while I'm at it: Inbal gave another presentation later on, dedicated to Gideon Toury and his essay about optimal translation. This is top-notch academic material which I shall not go into here. You can read it in Hebrew on Inbal's website, and watch her presentation on YouTube.

Back to Yaniv Farkas, solo this time, with 30 translation hacks. Sharing one's tricks and tips with fellow translators is a mitzvah. Farkas began his talk with technical stuff like his preferred computer screen ("portrait" as opposed to "landscape" orientation); preferred keyboard (a certain Lenovo, with the red dot - TrackPoint); then went on to essential work-habits such as making backups. Last but not least: Take a deep breath before answering annoying clients ;-)

Below are links to a few work tips I wrote and spoke about in the past:

• My most important tip for translators and editors
• Nina's tips for lectures and presentations
• How to work with translation agencies
• How to find well-paying clients
• How not to write and mail a CV 

Lunch break!

Yael Sela, my longstanding fave translator and speaker, has been [Hebrew] Language Manager  at Google since 2014, helping Google improve its Hebrew capabilities. She spoke with her usual vim and vigor about Goliath -- the project of making light of Google's Hebrew. In my professional past,  I had the displeasure of trying to edit and improve the Hebrew UI of various [educational] software, usually written quite badly by programmers, may they forgive me for this generalization.
Yael's task is to make Google's Hebrew, as it appears onscreen to the average Hebrew speaker, more inclusive, friendly and accessible. Their guiding motto is "Google is for everyone"; its instructions, commands, messages should all be understandable and friendly towards kids, golden-agers, and women everywhere. You can easily read more about Google's Diversity approach.
As it happens, I don't use Google in Hebrew, so wasn't aware of these specific changes. But the project is still going on strong, and I'm curious enough to try the Hebrew version and see for myself.

Vicky Teplitsky Ben-Saadon, of the Hebrew Language Academy, is terminology coordinator in the science section of the Academy, and very aware that a living language is constantly changing by its speakers. When it comes to scientific terminology, most scientists are not linguists. The Academy believes that language should serve all spheres of life. This implies that there's no point in creating words that make sense only to a small, limited sector. Also, there's no point in artificially creating Hebrew alternatives to foreign words which have become part of our everyday life, e.g., pizza, sushi, pop, rap, hip-hop, blog, blogger, etc. My notes mention that the word סימלון, simlon, has been suggested for emoji. I don't know whether this was a serious suggestion; I suspect not -- I think emoji is here to stay. The same goes for the much "older" word -- date, as in "I asked her/him out on a date."

How the Academy decides on creating a Hebrew term

Though I was thoroughly enjoying Vicky's talk, I left before it ended, since I'd intended to switch to the Academia room, where Shirley Finzi Loew was speaking.
So imagine my disappointment when I reached the room only to realize that Shirley was at the tail end of her talk. She was discussing the challenge of translating Italian dialects into Hebrew. Most of us, whose Italian encompasses the basic ciao, bellissima, arrivederci, buongiorno, and perhaps a handy expletive or two, aren't aware of the dialects, let alone coped with explaining their nuances. If I'm lucky, I might get another opportunity. If you'd like to read a brief summary of Shirley's talk, you can scroll down my colleague Ruth Ludlam's blog-post about the conference.

Inbal Sagiv Nakdimon's second talk, which I mentioned above, was the last on the agenda. During the ensuing break, many said their goodbyes. Those who stayed spent a relaxed hour or so enjoying a musical performance by Ronit Ophir and her accompanying musician, singing old favorites with lyrics by Natan Alterman, Natan Yonatan, and Natan Zach.

Until next time -- Arrivederci, folks!

ZOA House - Not Just Conferences

I've been going to the Israel Translators Association conferences for over 10 years, and treating the event as a vacation, time off for good behavior. I'm used to signing up for the entire event, including two nights at a pleasant hotel far from home. "Far" being a relative term, of course. To an Israeli living in the country's central region (Gush Dan), a trip to Jerusalem or Haifa, about an hour's drive away, can feel almost as adventurous as a journey to where-the-wild-things-are.
So Hubby and I would arrive on the afternoon of the first day, dump our stuff in the hotel room, and go downstairs to mingle with the Workshop crowd during their coffee break.

This year, several things changed drastically:
No hotel. No faraway city. No sense of adventure. Why? Long story. As a member of the ITA's Audit Committee, all I can say is that the change in format was well thought out, with the idea of reaching out to translators who found the usual hotel-based format too expensive and time-consuming. Most self-employed translators, especially those with families and tight deadlines, can't just escape for two and a half days.

Searching for an alternative wasn't simple. Committee members researched the options, made phone calls, received price quotes, considered everything from travelling time to cakes and ale (okay -- cakes and soft drinks) and everything in-between, and settled on the ZOA House on Ibn Gabirol Street, Tel Aviv. An aside: I am disgusted that their website is in Hebrew only. But have added the link because the pics are pretty and give you an idea of what it's like.

Spoiler alert: Sentimental mush below.

Ah, good old ZOA House! It means so much to me! See, once upon a time I belonged to The Tel Aviv Drama Circle, which then became TACT - Tel Aviv Community Theater. A group of amateur actors, singers, dancers, directors, set designers and what-not. My mother was among the early members, and soon enough so were my father, myself and my kid sister. By the time my firstborn, Daria, was about 7, she, too, got roped in; first in a musical evening; and later in a drama. I won't go into the whole history of this group. Suffice it to say that it was a wonderful hobby, and doing musicals was the best. Many of our rehearsals and most of our performances took place at the ZOA House. It was my second home. At the time I lived in Tel Aviv, not far from the Hilton Hotel, and could easily walk to and from rehearsals.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum @ZOA, 1981. Nina as Tintinabula

The Boyfriend @ZOA, 1980. Nina in red Tshirt

In addition, I took various courses at the ZOA House. Leather-work, Esperanto, and god knows what else. Later, when we needed a venue for a family occasion, ZOA was the obvious choice. And in recent years, the ITA has held a few events there. I gave a talk there in July 2014 called How to Work with Translation Agencies.

So in many ways, I was pleased the conference would be taking place there. I feel at home there; it holds sweet memories.
On the other hand, it was a bit of a let-down. Unexciting. Like having the conference at the neighbors' next-door. Hubby and I pass by the building twice weekly, on our way to help out with the grandkids. Skipping grandkids duty for the sake of two days at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Jerusalem feels acceptable; but for spending time across the street (practically) at Good Old ZOA?... [Shrug. Pout. Raised eyebrows.] Oh well. [Acceptance].

The Pyjama Game @ZOA, 1979. Nina standing on the right

My Three Angels, w/Johnny Phillips, 1977

Nekudat Mifneh 2: Enjoyable Writers' Conference

What an unimaginative title for a blog post about creative writing! From a person who used to be a copywriter, to boot. Couldn't I think of anything niftier?
- Sure I could. But, quite a while back, I decide to avoid unwarranted wisecracks, and concentrate on making my message plain and simple. So here's my message: The writers' conference I attended on November 11th, 2015 at the ZOA House in Tel Aviv, was a huge success: well planned and executed, well attended, enjoyable, and helpful. That's the bottom line; now for the details.

People got there bright and early, considering the heavy traffic into Tel Aviv in the morning. I got there at 08:30 as recommended, and dozens were already milling around, drinking coffee and helping themselves to a neat collection of cute cookies. (Yes, they were as tasty as they were cute-looking.)

In her opening words, Racheli Lavi commented on how gratifying it is to see so many faces -- about 180 of them -- about twice as many as last year, at the first conference. The name Nekudat Mifneh, meaning turning point, is a forward-looking, optimistic choice, communicating a positive and encouraging attitude. Racheli hopes (I'm not quoting her, this is my impression) that this conference will make a difference in aspiring-writers' lives, infusing them hope, belief in themselves, and determination. Her approach does not rely on "New-Age" motivational techniques; it is down-to-earth, practical, accessible, and as clear as a coloful elephant. Which is an allusion to those time- and energy-guzzling tasks we undertake just because we don't know how to say No.

Racheli Lavi on stage. Photo by Peleg Alkalai

Next was keynote speaker Meirav Oz, who recounted her own experience of writing and publishing a book. In her case, she came from the advertising world, and had helpful connections. But Meirav's creativity, her relentless drive, organizational skills, and sheer spunk and determination are the force that got her where she wanted. Her romantic-comedy novel, One Wrong Move, was translated into English and is available on Amazon, in case you're interested. Though this talk was interesting and entertaining, I can't say it encouraged me. It made me feel you must be a veritable bulldozer to translate your ideas into a published novel and see the project through.

Coffee break, followed by difficult choices. Track 1 offered 2 talks: How to attract kids to poetry; and advanced writing techniques. Track 2 was a workshop on creating [fictional] worlds. Track 3 offered two talks focusing on the process of publishing a book. Actually, Track 3 interested me the most, even though I know a thing or two about the process, thanks to a few friends who've been through it and shared their experiences with me. However, sadly, it's just not relevant to me at this point, since I have no manuscript ready for publication. On the other hand, I'd heard about Roni Gelbish the writer and workshop leader, who presented, or rather led,  Track 2. But the subject matter sounded daunting. After all, to write a fantasy or sci-fi novel, one had to use one's imagination. And I was pretty sure I had none. Nonetheless, this is the workshop I attended. And am glad I did.

Roni Gelbish's workshop. Photo by Peleg Alkalai

Roni described a few basic guidelines on how to approach such a novel, encouraged everyone to add their 2 cents' worth, then gave us a few short writing assignments which we completed on the spot, read out loud, and received feedback. (Yes, I know that's how a workshop works; it's just that it's been a long time since I attended or led one.) Roni's feedback was positive and encouraging, and helped us zero in on the essence of our ideas; she sort of pointed her flashlight at the possibilities inherent in them. The atmosphere in "class" was easygoing and non-competitive, and though not everyone took the opportunity to speak up, those who did were pleased with the response. As for me -- I discovered that I wasn't a total washout when it came to imagination. What a relief for a would-be writer!

Lunch break. I chose not to leave the building and just got a sandwich and coffee at the small upstairs bar. That turned into a good opportunity to talk to and get to know a few people. See, at ITA conferences I know many of the regulars. But here, I hardly knew a soul.

Lunch break is also the time to confront difficult decisions: there were three tracks, each with two separate lectures. Track 1 offered a talk about "the emotional truth" in writing, whatever that meant; and a talk about the [indisputable!] value of editing and re-writing. Track 2 included a talk about enjoyable horror (i.e. how to write a horror-thriller); and how to write a seven-volume saga. Track 3 tried to answer the elusive question of how to find time for our writing; and Jumpstarter - raising funds for art & cultural projects, and more.

I'm glad I chose Adi Meir Siso's talk, about how to make time for writing, or generally manage your time effectively. Don't roll your eyes at me! I know you think you've heard it all before. But I found Adi very persuasive, and have already implemented two of her suggestions. "If so," you might say, "how come this blog post has taken you a whole week to write and post?!"  - Well, what can I say. Better late than never?.. Last winter, after the 2015 ITA conference, I managed to post only about the first day out of three... I still have the first draft about the 2nd day, but didn't get even as far as a draft about the 3rd day. Isn't it lucky the ITA keeps precious info in their archives! By the way: For Hebrew readers, I recommend Adi's Hebrew website; the English one is accessible but not quite finished, as I write.

Next, I left the room and switched to the second part of Track 2, the one about writing a seven-volume series. Seems a bit pretentious for beginners? Possibly. But then it has the advantage of making use of an already-created world. Once you've put so much effort into creating something like Middle-Earth, Foundation, Hogwarts, or "just" a quirky county called Midsomer , why stop at one novel? Or two? Or three?...  I hope most listeners enjoyed the talk. I tried to listen, but couldn't figure out what the lecturer was talking about. His lecture was heavily based on A Song of Ice and Fire, which I haven't read, nor have I watched the series Game of Thrones. So I took a break until the penultimate session -- Problems in the writing process, with writer Eshkol Nevo. Nevo is a good speaker -- articulate, accessible, friendly. Makes you feel that, as difficult as writing is, it is an achievable feat. If he writes as well as he speaks, I think that's a good enough reason to actually get my hands on one of his novels. He spoke of the connection (and differences) between creative writing and real life; about planning one's story as opposed to improvising or letting the characters move the plot along; about dealing with writer's block; and about the inevitable writer's loneliness.

Unfortunately, I had to leave at the Questions & Answers stage. Grandmotherly duties and all that. And so I missed the last part of the conference -- the summing up and the freebies. Still -- it was a day well-spent. Stimulating, thought-provoking, inspiring, and helpful. Well done, Racheli Lavi. Looking forward to the next conference. Ta-ta for now.