How does a translator approach a source text that is still evolving? Authors are sometimes tempted to rewrite their work as part of the translation process, and translators might find themselves editing not only the translation but the original. We will examine a number of these cases and consider various approaches to the translation of unstable originals.

Jessica Cohen is an independent translator born in England, raised in Israel, and living in Denver. She translates contemporary Hebrew prose and other creative work. In 2017, she shared the Man Booker International Prize with David Grossman, for her translation of A Horse Walks Into a Bar. She has also translated works by major Israeli writers including Amos Oz, Etgar Keret, Ronit Matalon and Nir Baram, and collaborated with filmmaker Ari Folman. She was awarded an NEA fellowship in translation, and is a Guggenheim Fellow for 2021.

Sponsored by
Program in Translation & Intercultural Communication and the Program in Judaic Studies