NBG intern Sarah Wolbach interviews translator Alexandra Roesch about her career in translation, her recent translation of Stefanie vor Schulte's Boy with Black Rooster and what she'd like to translate in the future.
Sarah Wolbach: First, I wanted to ask what draws you to literary translation in the first place. I know you have a background in business but later received your MA in Translation at the University of Bristol. What inspired the switch?
Alexandra Roesch: My move to literary translation was driven by my passion for literature. I had studied business and languages, which led me to a career in banking, but that wasn’t a career that truly fulfilled me. After moving to Germany and starting a family, I returned to university to study something I was genuinely passionate about. Fortunately, my diverse background and maturity have proven to be assets in literary translation.
After graduating from Bristol, I participated in various translation programmes, such as those held by the British Centre for Literary Translation, the Literatische Colloquium in Berlin, and the Emerging Translators Programme at NBG. These experiences allowed me to gradually build a network of clients in both Germany and the UK.
What was the very first literary work you’ve translated professionally, and what was that experience like? How do you think your process has changed in the meantime, if at all?
Aside from several published samples with No Man’s Land in Berlin, my first full-length book translation was a co-translation of Merle Kröger’s Havarie for Unnamed Press in Los Angeles. This was an ideal way to start, as it allowed me to exchange ideas and discuss issues with my co-translator throughout the process, which greatly boosted my confidence. We ere pleased that the publisher submitted the translation for the Helen & Kurt Wolff Translator’s Prize in 2018.
That first novel was eight years ago, and since then, I have translated twelve books, both fiction and non-fiction, along with a great many samples. Over time, my confidence has grown, and my approach has evolved. I am now more methodical and structured in my work, yet also more flexible and nuanced in my interpretations.
You’ve recently translated Stefanie vor Schulte’s Boy with Black Rooster, which was an NBG jury pick and is described as a “fairy tale for adults,” containing elements of magical realism and garnering comparisons to Cormac McCarthy and Angela Carter. What was it like to translate a work of this genre? I imagine that you perhaps get to play a bit more with language than usual.
Translating Boy with a Black Rooster has been the most fascinating and fulfilling project of my career so far. I read the German original when it first came out in 2021 and fell in love with the storyline and the main character, Martin, an eleven-year-old boy. When I learned there was interest from the UK, I actively pursued the opportunity.
Alexandra Roesch
Translating Boy with a Black Rooster has been the most fascinating and fulfilling project of my career so far. I read the German original when it first came out in 2021 and fell in love with the storyline and the main character, Martin, an eleven-year-old boy. When I learned there was interest from the UK, I actively pursued the opportunity. It’s not often that translators have the chance to select their projects, so I feel fortunate to have been recommended to Indigo Press by fellow translator and friend, Charlotte Collins, who had done the original sample but was unable to take on the full translation. I managed to convince Susie Nicklin of my suitability for the project, and seeing the book on the shelves in the UK a couple of weeks ago has made me immensely proud.
Before Boy with a Black Rooster, I translated a previously undiscovered collection of short stories by Hans Fallada, published by Scribe. Set in the 1920s, these stories explored the depths of the female psyche and tackled heavy topics such as rape and abortion. In contrast, Stefanie vor Schulte’s novel is set in a pseudo-medieval past and follows the journey of a pure-hearted boy on his quest with his protector and friend, the black rooster. The tale is deceptively simple but it is one of those books that steals your heart and makes you believe in the kindness and good of humanity. So yes, translating this genre did feel more playful, despite the cruelty and violence within the story. The novel’s concise, poetic and vivid sentences required careful attention to rhythm and word choice. This delicate balance between simplicity and profound meaning made the translation process incredibly rewarding.
Do you have any favourite scenes or passages from the novel that were particularly interesting to work with?
Boy with a Black Rooster is crafted against a harsh historical backdrop, and yet it contains wonderful touches of humour and youthful wisdom.
Alexandra Roesch
Boy with a Black Rooster is crafted against a harsh historical backdrop, and yet it contains wonderful touches of humour and youthful wisdom. What I particularly like about Stefanie vor Schulte’s writing is her use of vivid imagery and her delicate poetic style, which create a beautiful atmosphere even amidst all the darkness.
And finally, do you have any favourite new releases in German that you’d be keen to see translated into English in the future?
Recently, I was fortunate to serve as a NBG jury advisor, which involved reading and assessing a large array of upcoming titles. One submission that stood out to me was Stefan Cordes’ debut novel BILLIE – To Heaven on Wild Horses published by C. Bertelmann. I was captivated by its highly original narrative and its strong female protagonist. Set during the Thirty Years’ War in Pomerania, the novel fictionalises the life of Sibylla Schwarz, a Baroque poet who died at the age of seventeen, whose work was published posthumously. Like Boy with a Black Rooster, the backdrop is quite dark – war, plagues and patriarchal constraints – yet it doesn’t deter Sybilla (Billie) from pursuing an education, defying her father and embracing her love for another woman, despite the hopelessness of the situation. After recently completing a sample of the novel, I hope to convince an English language publisher of this original and compelling story, which also has strong potential for film adaptation.
Recently, I was fortunate to serve as a NBG jury advisor, which involved reading and assessing a large array of upcoming titles. One submission that stood out to me was Stefan Cordes’ debut novel BILLIE – To Heaven on Wild Horses published by C. Bertelmann.
Alexandra Roesch
Alexandra Roesch is a bi-lingual, bi-cultural translator based in Frankfurt am Main.
She has an MA in Translation from the University of Bristol; was one of twelve international translators at the Summer Academy 2017 at the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin (LCB); and was selected for the International Translators Program of the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2021.
Sarah Wolbach graduated from Bard College Berlin in May 2024. She is currently based in Berlin, where she works as an intern in foreign rights and spends time crafting sample translations from German to English. She plans to continue her studies with an MA in Publishing from Manchester Metropolitan University beginning September 2024. She enjoys reading literary fiction in translation, especially works by women writers.
