Translating Novels: A Conversation with Anthony Marra and Ching-Chun Shih｜Zoom In Zoom Out

Why It Matters

Accurate, culturally attuned translations expand a novel’s reach and can even improve the source text, demonstrating that collaborative translation is a strategic asset for publishers seeking new markets.

Key Takeaways

• Translating a 570‑page WWII novel took six months, two months revision
• Close author‑translator friendship enhances cultural nuance and accuracy
• Taiwanese edition deemed more accurate than original English version
• Female immigrant protagonist resonates with Taiwanese readers seeking identity
• Translation process involves multiple readings, notes, and collaborative fact‑checking

Summary

The Zoom In Zoom Out interview brings together Anthony Marra, author of the historical novel Mercury Pictures Presents, and his longtime Mandarin translator Ching‑jun Shih to discuss the book’s debut in Taiwan.

Marra explains the novel’s sweep—from wartime Italy to Hollywood’s studio system—while Shih outlines a six‑month translation followed by two months of revision. She reads the 570‑page manuscript multiple times, annotates cultural references, and conducts research to render jokes and period details intelligible to Taiwanese readers. Their collaboration involves constant fact‑checking and back‑and‑forth queries, turning the translation into a meticulous, almost forensic, editorial process.

Shih notes that the close, decade‑long friendship with Marra lets her ask “what’s essential” without hesitation, even influencing his English drafts: “I think about how it might be translated while I write.” Marra proudly claims the Mandarin edition is “more accurate than the English version,” underscoring how a translator can spot nuances the author missed.

The conversation illustrates how deep author‑translator partnerships can elevate literary quality and market reception, offering Taiwanese readers a culturally resonant experience while signaling to publishers the commercial upside of investing in high‑quality translations for global titles.

Original Description

Anthony Marra's novel “Mercury Pictures Presents” is set in World War II, telling the story of an Italian refugee and her Chinese American boyfriend trying to climb the Hollywood ladder. With so much specific wording relating to culture, language and time period, how can a historical fiction novel make it into Mandarin? In this episode of Zoom In Zoom Out, Andrew Ryan sits down with author Anthony Marra and translator Ching-chun Shih to discuss the art of translation and how their work has sharpened each other's skills over the years.

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