With Wendy Uchimura and Alison Watts
Moderator: Marian Kinoshita

Date: September 18, 2022 (Sunday)

Books about contemporary handicrafts and hobbies—sashiko, embroidery, dressmaking, painting, etc.—as distinct from traditional crafts and artistic craftsmanship, are being translated and sold successfully in Anglophone markets. What are the special challenges of this niche of the translation industry? How does it differ from other genres of translation? How to find/work with publishers? How to deal with specialized terminology? We have two seasoned specialists to enlighten us about this fascinating field.

Alison Watts is a sashiko enthusiast based in Ibaraki prefecture who has translated Sashiko for Making and Mending by Saki Iiduka (Tuttle Publishing) and is currently working on another to be entitled Amazing Sashiko. She blogs on the subject on her website.

Wendy Uchimura, based in Yorkshire, UK, has translated a number of books on handicrafts, ranging from wazakka to needle-felting, including the following:
Modern Japanese Crochet: Classic Stitches Made Easy from Nihon Vogue (Tuttle Publishing)
Modern Japanese Painting Techniques (Tuttle Publishing)

Moderating the discussion is Marian Kinoshita, professional translator whose experience ranges from semiconductors to advertising and everything in between, with a special love for tenugui.

View video: https://youtu.be/GHhGRgkqVLs