To coincide with International Translation Day, the author Mark Haddon and the translator and author Jennifer Croft have launched the #TranslatorsOnTheCover campaign (https://societyofauthors NULL.org/News/News/2021/September/TranslatorsOnTheCover), in collaboration with the UK Society of Authors, for translators to be routinely credited on book covers.

So far, over 1,500 writers have signed the following open letter:

For too long, we’ve taken translators for granted. It is thanks to translators that we have access to world literatures past and present. It is thanks to translators that we are not merely isolated islands of readers and writers talking amongst ourselves, hearing only ourselves.

 Translators are the life-blood of both the literary world and the book trade which sustains it. They should be properly recognised, celebrated and rewarded for this. The first step towards doing this seems an obvious one. 

From now on we will be asking, in our contracts and communications, that our publishers ensure, whenever our work is translated, that the name of the translator appears on the front cover.

Illustration © PureSolution / AdobeStock

In the following links you can listen to a couple of BBC interviews regarding the campaign with both its initiators (https://www NULL.bbc NULL.co NULL.uk/sounds/play/m00100hl) (starting at 2:22:50) and also with Charlotte Collins (https://www NULL.bbc NULL.co NULL.uk/sounds/play/w172xv5b2bqwzh5) (starting at 49:15), translator and former co-chair of the UK Translators’ Association.

CEATL fully supports and promotes this initiative, which can only be good news for translators across Europe. Please click here (https://www2 NULL.societyofauthors NULL.org/translators-on-the-cover/) for more information and to sign the letter!