{"product_id":"reading-like-a-translator-multigenre-writing-workshop-online","title":"Reading Like a Translator: What Translators Can Teach Writers About Voice, Rhythm, and Meaning — 4-Week Online Multigenre Workshop with Shelly Bryant Starts Tuesday, January 19th, 2027","description":"\u003ch2\u003eReading Like a Translator Workshop: Voice \u0026amp; Rhythm | Jan 2027 Online\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReading Like a Translator Writing Workshop: What Translators Can Teach Writers About Voice, Rhythm, and Meaning with Shelly Bryant\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBegins Tuesday, January 19, 2027\u003cbr\u003eClass will meet weekly for four weeks via Zoom on Tuesdays, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e🌍 Class Times by Time Zone:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLos Angeles (PST): 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChicago (CST): 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNew York (EST): 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNow Enrolling!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAny questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstructor Shelly Bryant divides her year between Shanghai and Singapore, working as a poet, writer, and translator. She is the author of twelve volumes of poetry, a pair of travel guides, a book on classical Chinese gardens, and a short story collection, and she has translated more than 150 books from the Chinese. Her translation of Sheng Keyi’s \u003cem\u003eNorthern Girls\u003c\/em\u003e was long-listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2012, and her translation of You Jin's \u003cem\u003eIn Time, Out of Place\u003c\/em\u003e was shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize in 2016. Her company, Tender Leaves Translation (Singapore), was shortlisted for The Literary Translation Initiative Award by the London Book Fair in 2021.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWho is this class for?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis multigenre writing workshop is for writers who want to deepen their understanding of language, style, and meaning. It is especially suited to creative nonfiction writers, memoirists, essayists, literary fiction writers, poets, and serious readers beginning their own writing practice. Intermediate writers and intrepid beginners are welcome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat to expect:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat can writers learn from reading the same passage in three different English translations? Surprisingly, quite a lot. When each version sounds different, yet all remain faithful to the same original, it becomes clear that writing is about far more than choosing the right words. Voice, rhythm, implication, structure, and perspective all shape the reader’s experience, and every translation reveals something about how those elements work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this online writing class, Shelly Bryant, who has translated more than 150 books from the Chinese, uses literary translation as a way of reading more closely and writing more deliberately. Through comparisons of multiple translations, close reading, discussion, writing exercises, and guided revision, you will discover how translators identify the elements that make a piece of writing unmistakably itself. Together, the class explores how voice is created, how meaning is carried beyond individual words, and why readers sometimes experience something quite different from what the writer intended.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver four live Zoom sessions, the workshop moves from comparing published translations of \u003cem\u003eWar and Peace\u003c\/em\u003e, to examining translated memoir, to the challenge of sustaining multiple narrative voices within a novel, and finally to applying a translator’s way of reading to an English-language essay by Annie Dillard. Two of the course texts are Shelly’s own translations, so you will hear firsthand how a translator carried a voice from one language into another. By the end of this creative writing course, you will use the same questions translators ask of great writing to read and revise your own work with greater precision, confidence, and insight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat are the writing goals?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this course, students will produce a comparative close reading of multiple published translations of the same passage, a voice analysis of translated memoir and multi-voiced fiction, a translator-style analysis of one of their own pieces of writing, and a substantially revised draft accompanied by a brief reflection explaining their revision decisions. Each participant will receive individualized written feedback from the instructor on one submitted piece, focusing on meaning, voice, reader experience, and revision priorities rather than grammar or copyediting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eReadings\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReadings may include excerpts from \u003cem\u003eWar and Peace\u003c\/em\u003e by Leo Tolstoy in multiple English translations; \u003cem\u003eLi Na: My Life\u003c\/em\u003e by Li Na, translated by Shelly Bryant; \u003cem\u003eA Single Swallow\u003c\/em\u003e by Zhang Ling, translated by Shelly Bryant; and an essay by Annie Dillard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCOURSE OUTLINE\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWeek 1: What Survives Translation?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReading: \u003cem\u003eWar and Peace\u003c\/em\u003e (multiple English translations)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCompare multiple translations of the same passage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdentify what changes and what remains constant\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExplore voice beyond vocabulary\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduce the translator’s approach to close reading\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeliverable: A comparative close reading of multiple translations, identifying how different choices affect voice and reader experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWeek 2: Translating a Known Voice\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReading: \u003cem\u003eLi Na: My Life\u003c\/em\u003e (translated by Shelly Bryant)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat makes a voice recognisable?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePreserving personality, tone, and authenticity in memoir\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe relationship between voice and reader expectation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApplying these insights to participants’ own writing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeliverable: A voice analysis of the memoir together with a translator-style annotation of a short piece of the participant’s own writing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWeek 3: One Novel, Many Voices\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReading: \u003cem\u003eA Single Swallow\u003c\/em\u003e by Zhang Ling (translated by Shelly Bryant)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDistinguishing multiple narrative voices\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaintaining consistency while preserving individuality\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCharacterization through language\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReading fiction with a translator’s attention to voice\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeliverable: A revised section of the participant’s own work focusing on strengthening narrative voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWeek 4: Reading Like a Translator\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReading: An essay by Annie Dillard\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClose reading without consulting a translation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdentifying the features that would present the greatest challenges to a translator\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat translation teaches us about revision\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApplying a translator’s questions to our own writing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeliverable: A polished revision of the original submission accompanied by a reflective commentary explaining the writer’s revision decisions through the lens of the workshop.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCOURSE TAKEAWAYS:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA comparative close reading of multiple published translations of the same passage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA working vocabulary for voice, rhythm, implication, and perspective that goes beyond word choice\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA voice analysis of translated memoir and multi-voiced fiction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA translator-style analysis of your own writing that reveals the gap between what you intend and what a reader experiences\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA substantially revised draft, with a reflective commentary on your revision decisions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndividualized instructor feedback on one submitted piece, focused on meaning, voice, and revision priorities\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTESTIMONIALS:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Extremely happy with Shelly's interaction and delivery of the materials, along with time management.”\u003cbr\u003e— Former Student\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I particularly enjoyed the hands-on activities, which allowed us to apply the concepts in real-time.”\u003cbr\u003e— Former Student\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Really good with the explainations. The materials prepared very well \u0026amp; meets what i really need to learn.”\u003cbr\u003e— Former Student\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Easy-going and fun facilitator. Make things easy to digest by providing relatable examples.”\u003cbr\u003e— Former Student\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The speaker share a lot of her experiences and useful tips which is very useful to us. I also get a lot of input from the activities and sharing sessions.”\u003cbr\u003e— Former Student\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePAYMENT OPTIONS:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTuition is $330 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInstructor: Shelly Bryant\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBegins Tuesday, January 19, 2027\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClass will meet weekly for four weeks via Zoom on Tuesdays, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTuition is $330 USD.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Writing Workshops Org","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50622302028024,"sku":null,"price":294.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0287\/3917\/4532\/files\/ReadingLikeaTranslatorWhatTranslatorsCanTeachWritersAboutVoice_Rhythm_andMeaning_4-WeekOnlineMultigenreWorkshopwithShellyBryant.png?v=1790261693","url":"https:\/\/writingworkshops.com\/en-nl\/products\/reading-like-a-translator-multigenre-writing-workshop-online","provider":"Writing Workshops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}