SARAH CUMINETTI

BOOKS IN CONSECUTIVE: DOS AND DON’TS OF INTERPRETING LITERATURE

Consecutive interpreting presents specific challenges when translating for the book industry. Based on my personal experience, I will discuss how to prepare for presentations in consecutive by fiction and non-fiction writers, from background research to logistics. I will discuss the different aspects that characterize presentations before an audience compared to TV or radio interviews and other media. I will share tips on how to make life easier for the interpreter (from where to sit to which microphone to use) and no-nos that can turn an event into a nightmare. I will share stories that illustrate why it does matter to make small talk, and how crucial it is to be very perceptive to avoid the pitfalls of working with authors of obscure dystopian novels and investigative non-fiction, from hearing-impaired celebrities to temperamental Nobel Laureates, from proponents of complex philosophical theories to crowd-rousing motivational speakers, the occasional four-letter words and the risk of ending up doubling as shopping consultant, travel agent and even baby-sitter. It’s the magical world of literature, baby!

BIOGRAPHY

Sarah Cuminetti – Professional conference interpreter, specialized in literature & the arts. I have been on the Board of Assointerpreti – Italian National Association of Conference Interpreters since April 2017 (Social Media & Communication). I have been a member of Assointerpreti since 2002 and AITI since 2012. I have worked with best-selling authors, including Nobel Laureates, Pulitzer Prize and Man Booker Prize winners, like: Kazuo Ishiguro, Nobel Laureate for Literature 2017; Jo Nesbo; Naomi Klein; Elizabeth Strout; William Finnegan; Mohsin Hamid; Jessica & Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey); Jonathan Safran Foer; Michael Cunningham; Fiona Barton; Hanif Kureishi; Tracy Chevalier; Bill Emmott; etc.