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Translators Aloud is a YouTube channel devoted to sharing the work of literary translators, for both published and unpublished works.

We provide a space for translators to read their own work and a positive platform for sharing great literature, read aloud by the translators themselves.

We showcase the world’s best new and classic books, poetry, plays, and short stories, presented by the talented people who translate them.

Recent Readings
The Remembered Soldier is an extraordinary love story and a captivating novel about the power of memory and imagination. Flanders 1922. After serving as a soldier in the Great War, Noon Merckem has lost his memory and lives in a psychiatric asylum. Countless women, responding to a newspaper ad, visit him there in the hope of finding their spouse who vanished in battle. One day a woman, Julienne, appears and recognizes Noon as her husband, the photographer Amand Coppens, and takes him home against medical advice. But their miraculous reunion doesn’t turn out the way that Julienne wants her envious friends to believe. Only gradually do the two grow close, and Amand’s biography is pieced together on the basis of Julienne’s stories about him. But how can he be certain that she’s telling the truth? In The Remembered Soldier, Anjet Daanje immerses us in the psyche of a war-traumatized man who has lost his identity. When Amand comes to doubt Julienne’s word, the reader is caught up in a riveting spiral of confusion that only the greatest of literature can achieve. "Superb ... The novel reaches an extraordinary pitch of anguish and pity ... In David McKay’s assiduous translation from the Dutch, the sentences tumble forward hypnotically ... If The Remembered Soldier demands an unusual commitment in time and focus, it amply rewards the effort." — Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal “The phenomenal English-language debut from Daanje weaves an affecting love story through a tangle of memories and dreams . . . The complex and layered narrative is as moving as it is unsettling, and it will keep readers wondering about the truth long after the final page. It’s a remarkable achievement.” — Publishers Weekly (Starred review) “This is a beautifully written book… The style is very effective as it brings the reader into the flying thoughts of an injured, tormented, and confused mind. ... Highly recommended.” — Bonnie DeMoss, Historical Novel Society “This is a story about healing a soldier’s mind after surviving years of carnage, and it is about restoring mutual trust and love after so much has happened . . . an absorbing tale.” — Kirkus Reviews “Particularly impressive . . . a solid, engaging novel, The Remembered Soldier also uses the historical period and place well, making for a rich read.” — The Complete Review “Grapples with fragile versions of the truth . . . The Remembered Soldier, a luminous historical novel, mines the seams between a veteran’s traumas and restored hope.” — Foreword Reviews (Starred review) US edition available from New Vessel (US) on May 13, 2025: https://newvesselpress.com/books/the-remembered-soldier/ UK edition available from Scribe on June 19, 2025: https://scribepublications.co.uk/books-authors/books/the-remembered-soldier-9781915590053 Author bio Anjet Daanje, the pseudonym of Anjet den Boer, who was born in 1965, writes novels, short stories, and screenplays. Her novels have received the top literary prizes in her native Netherlands. The Remembered Soldier won the prestigious 2020 F. Bordewijk Prize, the Best Book of Groningen Prize, and was longlisted for the 2020 Libris Literature Prize. Translator bio David McKay is an award-winning translator of Dutch fiction, drama, and nonfiction. Born and educated in the United States, he has lived in and around The Hague since 1997. In recent years, translators he mentored have been shortlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature and the International Booker Prize and won the Vondel Prize.

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YouTube Video VVVqYXE5T1Nwb0Vlb2hQbUs4WlQtQzd3LmVBV2JCREZ0WU1N

David McKay reads from Anjet Daanje's THE REMEMBERED SOLDIER (New Vessel/Scribe, 2025)

14 May, 2025 1:45 pm

Nicol Hochholczerová’s poetic novella is a brutal and psychologically penetrating account of abuse and its consequences, spanning six years of Tereza’s adolescence and young adulthood. Through an unforgettable meeting of minimalist language and visceral metaphors, Hochholczerová weaves a twisted fairytale of explosive themes—of eating disorder, coercive control, and family dysfunction—to chart Tereza’s painful journey to freedom. Comparable in its power to Three Women by Lisa Taddeo, Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, and My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, Hochholczerová’s debut is an unmissable addition to an international canon of women’s literature turning under the light some of the most controversial and painful issues of our era. Shortlisted for Slovakia’s most prestigious literary prize, the Anasoft Litera Award, the book engendered an impassioned debate about the portrayal of abuse in literature and the appropriate readership for books dealing with such challenging themes. Author bio Nicol Hochholczerová was born in 1999 and grew up in Rimavská Sobota, Slovakia. In 2024, she completed a master’s in graphic design at the Academy of Art in Banská Bystrica. Her short stories have garnered prizes in a number of literary competitions. This Room is Impossible to Eat has been translated into Bulgarian, Czech, Hungarian, Serbian, Polish Ukrainian, German, Macedonian and now English. It has received, and been nominated for, further literary awards including the Angelus Literary Prize; had two theatrical adaptations and is being made into a feature film. She is currently working on her second book. Translator bios Julia Sherwood is a translator (with Peter Sherwood) from Slovak, Czech, Polish, Russian and German into English as well as into Slovak. She was born and grew up in Bratislava, Slovakia, and studied English and Slavonic languages and literature in Cologne, London and Munich. She was editor-at-large for Slovakia for Asymptote (2013–2023). She co-curates SlovakLiterature.com and is the editor of Seagull Books’ Slovak list. Julia and Peter have translated into English some thirty books by mostly contemporary Slovak and Czech writers. Their most recent translations are The Bonnet by Katarína Kucbelová and Seven Days to the Funeral by Ján Rozner. Peter Sherwood is a translator and scholar. He taught at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, from 1972 to 2007. From 2008 until his retirement in 2014, he was László Birinyi, Sr, Distinguished Professor of Hungarian Language and Culture in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Peter’s translations from the Hungarian include several short collections, as well novels, most recently Krisztina Tóth’s prize-winning Barcode and Krisztián Grecsó’s Vera. BUY THE BOOK: https://www.parthianbooks.com/products/this-room-is-impossible-to-eat-hardback Nicol Hochholczerová’s UK Tour: Tuesday 6 May London 6:00 Book Talk at UCL Wednesday 7 May Oxford 5:00 Presentation and discussion at Queen’s College, Schulman Auditorium Thursday 8 May Oxford 12:30 – 2:00 Translation workshop at the Oxford Comparative Criticism and Translation Centre St Anne’s College Friday 9 May Crickhowell: 7:30 – 9:00 Lost in Translation, at Book-ish Saturday 10 May Hay-on-Wye 5:00 North Books, Hay-on-Wye Sunday 11 May, Cardiff 3:30 Book Space, Cardiff Tuesday 13 May Bristol 7:00 Translated By, Bristol Gloucester Road Bookshop Wednesday 14 May Bath 11:00-12:00 Book signing at Mr B’s bookshop Thursday 15 May London 6:30 Hatchards Bookshop, Piccadilly

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YouTube Video VVVqYXE5T1Nwb0Vlb2hQbUs4WlQtQzd3LjFRVG0ycE91RDFz

Nicol Hochholczerová & translator Julia Sherwood read from THIS BOOK IS IMPOSSIBLE TO EAT (2024)

6 May, 2025 1:45 pm

From the translator: Gozert, which I have translated into English as Buddy, is a book written in Dutch by Pieter Koolwijk, who is clearly inspired by Roald Dahl. Gozert (256 pages) was published in 2020 and is about a boy named Trey who has a problem. At least, that’s what other people think. Trey disagrees. He’s just happy to have a friend: Buddy. The funnest, coolest, bravest, and most adventurous friend you could imagine. But Trey is the only one who can see and hear Buddy. And Buddy’s amazing plans end up getting Trey into a lot of trouble. Trey’s parents want Buddy to disappear, but Trey doesn’t want that at all... Buddy has been highly regarded in the Netherlands and won the Gouden Griffel (Golden Stylus), a prestigious Dutch children’s literature award, in 2021. It has been translated into 6 languages and (together with its two sequels) has sold more than 75,000 copies. It has inspired a popular board game, its audiobook is well-received, and it is currently being made into a children’s TV show. Buddy is a modern classic that surprises and enchants its readers. Author bio Pieter Koolwijk’s stories always balance on the edge of reality. He came to fame in the world of children’s literature with his books about Flea & Spikey. This was followed by Ben’s Boat, for which he received a Flag & Pennant Award, Boss of the World, and the critically acclaimed Goo. After Buddy (and the follow-up books Luna and Halt the Mission), Leif’s Trolls was published in 2022. pieter.koolwijk@gmail.com http://www.pieterkoolwijk.nl/ Translator bio I was born and raised in Florida (USA) and have been living in the Netherlands ever since meeting my Dutch partner during a study-abroad semester 22 years ago. As soon as my Dutch was good enough, I started translating. Simple things at first: websites and resumes, then policy plans and other non-literary texts until I discovered my passion for translating children’s books. I’ve been teaching English to Dutch kindergarteners for many years and love reading aloud. I helped to start an English children’s book store in Utrecht where I provide free story time sessions. Reading was my favorite part of parenting young children, and now that my own kids are teenagers, I really miss that part of the evening ritual. Translating children’s books brings me a joy that I never experienced in non-literary translation. I feel like I finally know what I want to do when I grow up! So I’ve been focusing on this for the past few years and have done many volunteer translations and sample translations for publishers and literary agents. I had a mentorship with the Dutch Expertise Center for Literary Translation and it helped me to improve my skills enormously, as did the numerous online workshops I’ve followed. I’m looking forward to my first full-length book translation contract! https://smallworldenglish.nl/ info@smallworldenglish.nl https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-moran-218a1921/ Rights: I have obtained permission from the original rights holder to translate this sample and share a recording of it on Translators Aloud. For rights info, contact: Robin van der Gaag: rechten@lemniscaat.nl To buy: https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/gozert/9200000124091906/?Referrer=ADVNLGOO002008J-S---PMAX-C-22294751959&gad_source=5&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImu_B95vhjAMV0hGLCh0mLg5ZEAAYASAAEgJj1fD_BwE Reviews of Gozert: “Pieter Koolwijk is a unique children's book writer. (...) He takes fantasy seriously. We all grow up far too fast. Being “different” can be difficult: a dreamy child is quickly labelled with ADHD, and if he hears voices or has a friend no one else can see, he must be cured. Pieter Koolwijk writes books where fantasy plays a central role, encouraging readers to lose themselves within the story. There is so much entertainment in the form of games and screens. But no matter how creative these can be, they are no match for a book like this that draws you in and lets you create your own images. (...) Especially for teachers, the message to "see the child" is hugely important. And the call to read more is also quite urgent. We need more teachers promoting reading and reading books where identity and inclusion are major themes.” Maaike de Vries, Wijsmettaal.nl “Gozert is an impressive and important book in which sensitive themes are touched on in a disarming way.” Jaap Friso “Gozert, and its sequel Luna, is a tender book that is especially moving because it is from the point of view of children who are cast aside. There are few children's books that deal with mental health, and certainly few adventurous children's books. Gozert (and Luna) is just that, and offers some beautiful fairytale scenes as well. With this book, Pieter Koolwijk once again shows that he is a writer to keep a close eye on.” Edward van de Vendel In 2020, Gozert was number 6 of the 25 best Dutch children’s books on the well-regarded list “Jaap Reads”: https://www.jaapleest.nl/de-25-beste-kinderboeken-van-2020-volgens-jaapleest/

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YouTube Video VVVqYXE5T1Nwb0Vlb2hQbUs4WlQtQzd3LkFzZUVwV1RuRWNj

Alexis Moran reads from Pieter Koolwijk’s Gozert (seeking a publisher)

30 Apr, 2025 1:30 pm

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