Slovak books in the US market struggle

But there are activities to help them break through.

Illustrative stock photoIllustrative stock photo (Source: SME)

English translations of Slovak books sometimes appear in the US market but interest in them is lacking. Though most of the publishing activities are carried out by Slovak associations in the USA, there are also some Slovak fiction books translated into English which gradually make their way to US bookshops.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

The US publishers are not very interested in publishing translations of Slovak literature in English, says Daniela Humajová, head of the foreign projects department at the Literary Information Centre (LIC) in Bratislava. There are, however, some translators and experts who try to persuade the publishers to issue the books, including Julia Sherwood, Magdalena Mullek, and Virginia M. Parobek.

SkryťTurn off ads

The publishers often decide to publish the books only based on personal recommendation, as they often cannot judge the original and its quality, she added.

“Slovak literature really needs promoters who will make efforts to persuade US publishers to issue the recommended book,” Humajová told The Slovak Spectator.

Translations are challenging

Translating Slovak pieces into English is really not easy, admits Humajová. The translations are issued mostly in the United Kingdom, where only about 1-3 percent of translated books are published, she added. 

When translating the Slovak books into English, the translators need to overcome language barriers and different cultural contexts. Some translators, like Peter Petro, however, have Slovak roots which help them understand the text and find good alternatives when translating, Humajová said.

SkryťTurn off ads

Others, like John Minahane, Heather Trebatická, James Sutherland-Smith, and Jonathan Gresty, live in Slovakia so they know the country, its culture and literature thanks to which they “can truly, accurately and eloquently translate Slovak pieces into English and bring them closer to English-speaking readers”, Humajová added.

“Regarding the US market, the whole promotion and distribution of books, which were issued in the US, depends on the publisher – it is hard to influence it from Bratislava,” she explained.

Another challenge is how many Americans are aware of Slovakia, opines Gerald Sabo, Jesuit priest and associate professor of Slavic languages and literature at John Carroll University in Ohio.

“It is hard to be curious about the literature of a country that is minimally in the news and other communication media,” Sabo told The Slovak Spectator. 

The rest of this article is premium content at Spectator.sk
Subscribe now for full access

I already have subscription - Sign in

Subscription provides you with:
  • Immediate access to all locked articles (premium content) on Spectator.sk
  • Special weekly news summary + an audio recording with a weekly news summary to listen to at your convenience (received on a weekly basis directly to your e-mail)
  • PDF version of the latest issue of our newspaper, The Slovak Spectator, emailed directly to you
  • Access to all premium content on Sme.sk and Korzar.sk

Top stories

Slovakia marks 20 years since joining NATO.

Slovakia marks 20 years in the Alliance.


Daniel Hoťka and 1 more
Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
Czech biochemist Jan Konvalinka.

Jan Konvalinka was expecting a pandemic before Covid-19 came along.


SkryťClose ad