BRATTLEBORO-ByWay Books & More, 399 Canal St., will host Jeffrey Diteman, co-translator for Louis Timagène Houat's The Maroons, and artist Shanta Lee on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. Their presentation focuses on the importance of translation in the process of reviving banned books and redressing the injustices of colonialism.
The discussion will cover the process of collaborative translation and the contemporary relevance, including the potential uses of this novel in the classroom as it illuminates the timelessness of the racial and social justice issues that we face today. Questions and discourse are encouraged.
The Maroons was first published in Paris in 1844. Author Houat was a Black abolitionist and a political exile. The Maroons was confiscated soon after publication and was declared "a threat to public order" by the French colonial government. This translation was published by Restless Books in 2024, and signed copies will be available for purchase.
Diteman is a co-translator with Aquil Gopee. Diteman is a literary scholar who translates in French, Spanish, and English. He has translated the works of Pablo Martín Sánchez, Raymond Queneau, and Amalialú Posso Figueroa. He also translates journalistic works and children's literature. His academic research focuses on depictions of cross-cultural influence in narratives of extended kinship from Latin America.
Shanta Lee is an award-winning writer across genres, a visual artist, and a public intellectual, actively participating in the cultural discourse including public health, arts administration, local government, nonprofits, and other sectors.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.