I feel I've recovered sufficiently to tell you how it was. It was excellent!
Our fifth translation talent contest, Translation Idol - no man's land sucht den Superübersetzer* was a fabulous success, if I do say so myself. The ladies from Transfiction kindly hosted us at the Alte Kantine Wedding, a big fat space with gallons of charisma. Writer Deniz Utlu was there in all his talented glory. We had fifteen entries from the UK, the US, Germany, Spain and Australia. And we also had our biggest audience yet, all reading along patiently as we presented fifteen versions of the same passage. It might sound dull but I'm reliably informed it was not.
The republic of no man's land is a radical democracy in which we realistically demand the impossible - translation. So the audience elected the prime minister, who turned out to be Scott Martingell with his first ever translation. Deputy prime minister was Joseph Given. Both received the key to the republic and one of those big golden necklaces.
Deniz Utlu got to choose his favourite too, and it was Translation Idol veteran Steph Morris, currently serving as ambassador to the republic in Granada.
There followed some relaxed celebration as my adrenaline level returned to only double the usual. Many thanks to all who attended and took part, and especially to Deniz Utlu, Lucy Renner-Jones and Susan Stone, without whom none of it would have been possible.
All the very different renderings will be online soon at no man's land. I'll let you know.
* oder die Superübersetzerin
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