Russian audiences have always been fascinated by British literature and culture. Many Russian editions of British classics were heavily annotated: translators and scholars worked hard to give their readers a wider historical and cultural context. They were also heavily censored - both before and after the October 1917 Revolution. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, publishing practices underwent dramatic changes and were eventually integrated into the international market. At the moment, the Russian book market is in turmoil again - yet many modern British novels are still being translated into Russian. In her talk Dr Alexandra Borisenko will tell us about her own experience as a translator and the linguistic, contextual and cross-cultural challenges faced by any translator. She will also tell us about the translation, reception and publishing of works in Russia since 1991 by British and American authors, how the position has changed since 24 February 2022 and the particular challenges facing those like herself who seek to translate and publish English language works in contemporary Russia.
Dr Alexandra Borisenko is a literary translator, critic and Associate Professor in the Department of Discourse and Communication Studies at Moscow State University (Lomonosov). She graduated from Moscow State University in 1992, and her Ph.D thesis in 2000 focused on the approach of the Soviet school of translation. Dr Borisenko has translated the works of English authors, including Julian Barnes (Flaubert’s Parrot and Before She Met Me), Dorothy Sayers (Gaudy Night) and Patricia Duncker (Seven Tales of Sex and Death and James Miranda Barry), and American authors, including Daniel Mason (The Winter Soldier) and Hanya Ynagihara (A Little Life and To Paradise) - mostly in collaboration with her husband, Victor Sonkin. She has also led translation workshops at Moscow State University and at the HSE (Higher School of Economics) University in Moscow.