Will Firth - Translator from Russian, Serbo-Croat, Macedonian

Will Firth

Translator from
Russian
Serbo-Croat
Macedonian

Vision

As a translator I see myself as a mediator and a smuggler: my mission is to funnel socially and politically relevant writings and quality literature from Eastern Europe, so vastly underrated, to the egotistical “West”.

Chess players, Zagreb railway station

“… the breezy, tactile pitch of Firth’s translation from the Montenegrin text.”
- Porter Anderson on Stefan Bošković’s “Search: Porn” in Publishing Perspectives, 2019

“It’s a tribute to the agility and perseverance of translator Will Firth that Krleža’s incendiary prose strikes home with such fluent power.”
- Jonathan Bousfield reviewing Miroslav Krleža’s Journey to Russia on Stray Satellite, 2018

“A special place must also be accorded to Will Firth, who has translated the Bosnian original into an English laden with unique atmosphere, at once exotically local yet recognizably universal throughout.”
- Andrew Singer reviewing Faruk Šehić's Quiet Flows the Una in World Literature Today, 2016

“Our Man in Iraq may well prove to be one of those rare cases where something is actually gained in translation.”
- Emily Donaldson reviewing Robert Perišić's novel in The Star, 2013

Press

A selection of Will Firth’s articles on language and politics

- The Montenegrin Political Novel
www.calvertjournal.com/articles/show/12090/montenegrin-political-novel-dark-thrillers-melodrama-decadence-rich-powerful

- Language and Politics in ex-Yugoslavia
antipolitika.noblogs.org/post/2020/07/23/language-and-politics/

- Resurrecting the Dead: Translator Will Firth on Unearthing Balkan Classics
www.asymptotejournal.com/blog/2019/10/24/resurrecting-the-dead-translator-will-firth-on-unearthing-balkan-classics/

- Filling the Gaps: On Translating Miloš Crnjanski’s Novel of London
blog.lareviewofbooks.org/essays/filling-gaps-translating-milos-crnjanskis-novel-london/

- Change is the Only Constant: Writing from Macedonia
www.wordswithoutborders.org/article/change-is-the-only-constant-writing-from-macedonia

- From Turmoil and Diversity: Contemporary Montenegrin Prose Writing
www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2017/march/turmoil-and-diversity-contemporary-montenegrin-prose-writing-will-firth

- Esperanto and Anarchism
theanarchistlibrary.org/library/will-firth-esperanto-and-anarchism

Home Legal Notice	Will Firth \| Translator
deutsch	Russian \| Serbo-Croat \| Macedonian
Translations CV Contact Will Firth Dunckerstrasse 11 10437 Berlin Phone 030 - 444 8398	Will Firth Translator from Russian Serbo-Croat Macedonian Vision As a translator I see myself as a mediator and a smuggler: my mission is to funnel socially and politically relevant writings and quality literature from Eastern Europe, so vastly underrated, to the egotistical “West”. “… the breezy, tactile pitch of Firth’s translation from the Montenegrin text.” - Porter Anderson on Stefan Bošković’s “Search: Porn” in Publishing Perspectives, 2019 “It’s a tribute to the agility and perseverance of translator Will Firth that Krleža’s incendiary prose strikes home with such fluent power.” - Jonathan Bousfield reviewing Miroslav Krleža’s Journey to Russia on Stray Satellite, 2018 “A special place must also be accorded to Will Firth, who has translated the Bosnian original into an English laden with unique atmosphere, at once exotically local yet recognizably universal throughout.” - Andrew Singer reviewing Faruk Šehić's Quiet Flows the Una in World Literature Today, 2016 “Our Man in Iraq may well prove to be one of those rare cases where something is actually gained in translation.” - Emily Donaldson reviewing Robert Perišić's novel in The Star, 2013 Press A selection of Will Firth’s articles on language and politics - The Montenegrin Political Novel www.calvertjournal.com/articles/show/12090/montenegrin-political-novel-dark-thrillers-melodrama-decadence-rich-powerful - Language and Politics in ex-Yugoslavia antipolitika.noblogs.org/post/2020/07/23/language-and-politics/ - Resurrecting the Dead: Translator Will Firth on Unearthing Balkan Classics www.asymptotejournal.com/blog/2019/10/24/resurrecting-the-dead-translator-will-firth-on-unearthing-balkan-classics/ - Filling the Gaps: On Translating Miloš Crnjanski’s Novel of London blog.lareviewofbooks.org/essays/filling-gaps-translating-milos-crnjanskis-novel-london/ - Change is the Only Constant: Writing from Macedonia www.wordswithoutborders.org/article/change-is-the-only-constant-writing-from-macedonia - From Turmoil and Diversity: Contemporary Montenegrin Prose Writing www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2017/march/turmoil-and-diversity-contemporary-montenegrin-prose-writing-will-firth - Esperanto and Anarchism theanarchistlibrary.org/library/will-firth-esperanto-and-anarchism