Anne Birkenhauer in Augsburg: An Evening on the Art of Translation
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When Language Travels: Anne Birkenhauer on the Art of Translation
Translating means more than transferring words from one language to another. It means keeping sound, mood, cultural memory, and literary ambiguity mobile across borders. On Thursday, October 29, 2026, Anne Birkenhauer will invite you to a reading and a discussion about the search for the good translation at the Zeughaus Augsburg.
Between Language, Culture, and Literary Responsibility
Anne Birkenhauer is one of the most distinguished translators of Hebrew literature into German. She has translated works by David Grossman, Aharon Appelfeld, Yehuda Amichai, and other prominent voices of Hebrew literature. Her work shows that literary quality in translation does not arise from linguistic smoothness but from the precise shaping of rhythm, imagery, tonality, and cultural context.
Can There Be a Perfect Translation?
The focus of the evening will be on how moods can be conveyed across cultural boundaries. Every translation moves between closeness and independence: it preserves the character of the original while simultaneously developing an independent linguistic artistry in German. Anne Birkenhauer will discuss the decisions that lie behind a literary transfer and the responsibility that translators have towards authors, texts, and readers.
An Outstanding Voice of Contemporary Literature
Birkenhauer's translating work has been widely recognized. In 2015, she received the Johann Heinrich Voß Prize for Translation, and in 2016 the Paul Celan Prize for her complete works. Her translation of David Grossman's novel A Horse Walks Into a Bar was particularly praised for the nuanced rendering of shifting tones between comedy, harshness, and linguistic disturbance.
Reading Atmosphere in the Augsburg Zeughaus
The audience can expect a focused author encounter with literary discussion, insights into the practice of translation, and a sensory engagement with language. The evening will be moderated by Prof. Dr. Bettina Bannasch from the University of Augsburg. The event is being created in cooperation with the University of Augsburg, the GCJZ Augsburg, and Artists against Antisemitism.
This literary experience is aimed at everyone interested in contemporary literature, Hebrew literature, the art of translation, and cultural exchange. Those who want to understand language as a place of encounter will experience an evening at the Zeughaus about the fine decisions behind each successful sentence.
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- Publisher: https://www.suhrkamp.de/person/anne-birkenhauer-p-395
