The Center for the Art of Translation presents the seventh annual Day of Translation in partnership with The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn. Whether you are a literary translator, an avid reader, or simply curious about the movement of ideas across languages and cultures, come celebrate the deeply human art of translation with us.
A revolutionary force in translation, Emily Wilson gives epic stories like The Odyssey and The Iliad back to us in a way that feels shockingly alive, urgent, and radically human.
Her latest book, Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Journeys Through Ancient Literature, wrestles with the frustrations and joys of the art of translation, offering a playful, fascinating voyage where the ancient world collides directly with pop culture. By examining how modern concepts of gender, violence, power, and sexuality clash with ancient texts—from the “slut-shaming” of Helen of Troy to the obscenities of Aristophanes—Wilson warns against treating antiquity as a mere mirror of our modern selves.
In this keynote, she will build upon these themes, diving into how revisiting classic works allows us to shift our perceptions and interpretations of the texts themselves, and the process of translation. Whether you know her for the propulsive iambic pentameter of her Homeric verse, or you are eager to engage with new reflections on how language constantly renews history, you are in for an extraordinary evening.
The keynote is a paid ticketed event (in-person or livestream), and every ticket includes a signed copy of Emily Wilson’s Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea.