Translation in Catalonia (2020-2021)

Abstract

Translation continued to play a key role in the publishing world in Catalonia during the years 2020 and 2021. Despite the pandemic, production did not fall significantly, and remained at levels similar to those of the two years prior to Covid-19. Based on the analysis of the ISBN data, the percentage of translations in relation to the total production in Catalonia remained very high, above the Spanish average. A few European languages and Japanese accounted for the majority of translations published in Catalonia (English, very prominently, followed by French, Spanish, Italian, German and Catalan). Japanese was still prominent due to the translations of manga, especially into Spanish. In the translations between Catalan and Spanish, there was a strong imbalance: far more translations were made from Spanish to Catalan than the other way around, and the bulk of these translations were of children's books. As far as subject areas are concerned, literature and children's books were the most frequently translated. During the period analysed, a number of important literary works were translated. Translation awards continued to focus on this literary translation, classified by source language and genre, and presented by institutions, especially the public universities. Scientific meetings on translation had to adapt to the situation created by the pandemic: some were suspended, but many others were carried out in digital format. This means that some of the sessions recorded can still be consulted.