Eric Abrahamsen
Eric Abrahamsen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978 |
| Occupation(s) | Literary translator, software developer |
| Known for | Translation of Chinese literature into English, founder of Paper Republic, creator of Org-Translate |
Eric Abrahamsen (born 1978) is a distinguished American literary translator recognized for his expertise in rendering Chinese texts into English.
Biography
Beginning in 2001, Abrahamsen pursued Chinese studies at the Central University for Nationalities in Beijing and remained in China until 2016. During this period, he concentrated on translating and advocating for Chinese literary works. He established and currently leads the literary platform known as Paper Republic.
Awards
- Awarded the PEN Translation Grant for his work on Wang Xiaobo's My Spiritual Homeland.
- Received a National Endowment for the Arts grant to translate Xu Zechen's Running Through Beijing.
- His translation of Running Through Beijing was shortlisted for the National Translation Award.
- Honored with the Special Book Award of China in 2015.
Publications
Abrahamsen’s translated works have been featured in prominent outlets including The New Yorker, Granta, n+1, and Paper Republic. Additionally, he authors essays on modern Chinese literature.
Novel Translations
- Wang Xiaofang: The Civil Servant's Notebook (2011) 公务员笔记
- Xu Zechen: Running Through Beijing (2013) 跑步穿过中关村
Short Story Translations
- A Yi: Barren Land 贫瘠之地; In the Penal Colony 在流放地
- Bi Feiyu: The Deluge 大雨如注; Wang Village and the World 地球上的王家庄
- Jiang Yitan: China Story 中国故事
- Lu Yang: Silver Tiger 银色老虎; Running Around Beijing 在北京奔跑
- Sheng Keyi: An Inexperienced World 缺乏经验的世界
- Su Tong: Watermelon Boats 西瓜船
- Wang Xiaobo: Mister Lover 舅舅情人
- Xu Zechen: Various stories including A Brief History of Time, Outdoor Film, and Wheels Are Round
- Zhang Wei: King's Blood 王血; Rain and Snow 下雨下雪
GNU Emacs
In addition to his translation career, Abrahamsen contributes to the Emacs programming community. He is the creator of Org-Translate, a computer-assisted translation tool integrated with Org.
External links
- Paper Republic website
- Eric Abrahamsen profile on Paper Republic
- Eric Abrahamsen profile on Words Without Borders
- Interview with Eric Abrahamsen in World Literature Today (2014)
- Interview with Eric Abrahamsen in SFWP (2015)
- Feature about Abrahamsen in South China Morning Post (Nov 21, 2021)