São Paulo based publisher Landmark has initiated legal proceedings against Brazilian translator and blogger Denise Bottmann.

The case relates to allegations published on Bottmann’s blog that Brazilian editions of Persuasion by Jane Austen and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte are plagiarised translations. Raquel Sallaberry, on whose blog the assertion of plagiarism was also published, has been summoned as an additional defendant in the dispute.

The lawsuit, initiated in February, calls for the blogs in question to be deleted, and claims financial compensation for libel. According to statements published on their websites, Denise and Raquel have both instructed lawyers to prepare their cases for defence.

As described here and also on my previous blog, Denise writes about the alarmingly widespread occurrence of plagiarism of literary translations in Brazil. Since 2007, she has documented numerous situations on her blog in which publishers have broken the law by selling existing texts under new names as though they were original translations.

Each alleged example of plagiarism on the  blog is backed up with samples from the books concerned, with details of publishers, editions, year of publication and names of translators, all easily verifiable by any reader who cares to check. Some of the publishers involved have entered into dialogue with Denise, and a few have admitted errors graciously, stating publicly that books will be withdrawn.

Persuasion was first mentioned on Denise’s blog in January 2009, with a detailed post (in Portuguese) about the texts and the circumstances of the Landmark edition. The post shows the similarities between the Landmark translation by Fabio Cyrino and a previous translation published in Portugal.

Denise was alerted to the situation by Raquel Sallaberry, who also published examples on her blog. As the news quickly spread across the Internet, Denise contacted me to let me know, as I had previously praised Landmark for the initiative in publishing Austen. Landmark’s Bronte translation is also included on Denise’s list of dubious editions, with a clarification following her communication with the person accredited as the translator.

The story of the lawsuit has been widely reported in Brazilian print and online media over the last two weeks,  with a huge wave of support and solidarity for Bottman and Sallaberry from publishers, bookshops, associations, writers, translators and bloggers.

Urso de Óculos bookshop – to which my blog is inextricably linked – neither stocks nor recommends to readers any titles published by Landmark.

Four Brazilian translators have set up an online petition in support of Denise, with an explanation in English on the blog I Support Denise: http://apoiodenise.wordpress.com/. More background in English too, in this article written last year by Danilo Nogueira and Kelli Semolini.

Please feel free to spread the word further, and you can also show solidarity by adding your name to the online petition.

This publication really is a big deal, and worth celebration in Brazil. Firstly, because the story is a joy to read and secondly because of the background to this translation.

Following allegations of plagiarism in previous Brazilian editions of Jane Austen, one of which I wrote about here, Raquel Sallaberry publically asked L&PM to consider publishing a Jane Austen collection with brand new translations. The publisher responded to the call, and the first in the Jane Austen series has now been launched.

With a solid reputation for commissioning fresh translations of classic world literature, L&PM has a fascinating history, from its first censor-avoiding publications during the military dictatorship, to its 30+ year history of publishing excellent Brazilian and international writing at accessible prices.

Celina Portocarrero has translated many novels and short stories from French and English into Portuguese, including Marcel Proust’s Un Amor de Swann, for which she won the 2007 prize for best translation from French as part of the Prêmio Açorianos de Literatura.  She is also a poet, with a first collection published in 2007 by 7letras.

According to Sallaberry, prior to this new translation, the most recent truly new Brazilian  edition of Pride and Prejudice was a 1940 translation by Lúcio Cardoso. Since then, two other “translations” have been published and proclaimed as new, but  evidence documented by Denise Bottmann of Não Gosto de Plágio (I don’t like Plagiarism), indicates that the editions are copies of previous translations: one from Portugal and the other by Cardoso, attributed to unknown and apparently non-existent “translators” and published by well known Brazilian publishers, bearing remarkable similarities to the previous editions, including the same errors and omissions of whole chunks of text in some cases.

Unfortunately, plagiarism of literary translation in Brazil seems to be common, and not confined to Jane Austen novels. There are now numerous known cases of translations signed by fictional translators, leaving the publisher (illegally) free from obligations of accreditation and fees payable under Brazilian and international copyright laws.

As outdated translations continue to be marketed to readers as fresh approaches to the original texts, Bottmann’s meticulously detailed and well researched blog calls on the publishers involved to withdraw illegal editions.

It’s great to see a Brazilian press take a risk on a new translation of a classic when there are several versions in Portuguese already available on the market, and for this L&PM should be applauded. It’s also refreshing to see an opinion from the writer of a superb, non-commercially motivated blog being taken into account by a publisher.

I haven’t seen the book yet, but glowing reviews of Portocarrero’s translation have started to appear on the Internet. If your local bricks and mortar bookseller doesn’t stock it, I recommend you buy your copy online directly from the publisher.

Orgulho e Preconceito (Pride and Prejudice)
Translation to Portuguese by Celina Portocarrero
Published in Brazil by L&PM
ISBN 9788525419644

Post written by Sarah Rebecca.

And now lusophone fans can get an insight into Hornby’s own reading habits with the recently published Brazilian edition of The Complete Polysyllabic Spree: The Diary of an Occasionally Exasperated but Ever Hopeful Reader.

It’s a collection of Hornby’s  “Stuff I’ve been reading” column in the American magazine The Believer, written between 2003 and 2006, in which he gave monthly commentaries on the books he bought and the books he read. It’s his honest personal take on specific books and writers (including a character analysis of Adrian Mole, the feelings evoked when reading Kurt Vonnegut’s “A Man without a Country”, and what people might imagine when they see the cover of Philip Larkin’s letters), plus plenty of comment on the concept of literary criticism itself.

But I’m not going to go into more details of the original book here. Intelligent readers of The Spectacled Bear Reports already know that Hornby is one of the most engaging writers in Britain, and this title has been reviewed everywhere since its publication in 2006.

What is of interest here is the new Brazilian edition, translated by Antonio E de Moura Filho with the grand title Frenesi Polissilábico – O diário de Nick Hornby: um leitor que perde as estribeiras mas nunca perde a esperança.

I read the translation with three questions in mind:

Is the translation any good?,  Is this book of any value to Brazilian readers? and: What relevance does this new edition have to English readers?

“Yes!”, “Yes!” and “A lot!”

The translator’s challenge with this book was not only to reproduce Hornby’s own unique style, but also to translate the many different types of writing in the extracts of the books being described. And Moura Filho’s translation ticked all the right boxes. The Portuguese manages to capture Hornby’s voice, alongside well translated sections of the books mentioned.

It is an excellent read for Brazilians because, although it has as strong a London flavour as any of Hornby’s fiction, the Portuguese is brilliantly fluid.

My only concern with this edition would be that the book might cause some frustration if readers start looking for Brazilian versions of all the titles mentioned (it would be interesting to read opinons from Brazilians who have read it – please feel free to comment below).

And for the English speakers among you, I have long believed that a great way to learn a foreign language is by reading translations (as long as they are good translations). With an easy to read style like that used in the Polysyllabic Spree, you can improve your skills in reading in Portuguese whilst staying within an anglophone comfort zone in terms of cultural allusion and, in the case of this particular title, literary cross reference.

So if you’re yearning for easy reading, North London style AND are keen to read something in Portuguese, get this book.

You can buy this title in any good independent bookshop in Brazil (including Urso de Óculos – that’s us, by the way), or directly from the publisher.

And, wait for it: FREE BOOK ALERT!:

If you ARE in the vicinity of the most international bookshop in Bahia, come on over as fast as your legs will carry you, as we’ve got one FREE copy of Frenesi Polissilábico to give away to the first person who comes into the shop and tells us the answer to this question:

What football team does Nick Hornby support?

————————

Frenesi Polissilábico
Nick Hornby / Tradução de Antonio E. de Moura Filho
ISBN: 9788532524072
Editora: Rocco (2009)

The show brings together prize-winning artists from all over Brazil, previously exhibited in various Public and Private Cultural Initiatives in Bahia. It’s a great opportunity for the population of Salvador to see some excellent contemporary art (entry is free), and the event aims to encourage open dialogues about the best in Brazilian visual arts.

Housed in the breathtaking Solar de Unhão, the museum is worth a visit just for the venue. As well as hosting exhibitions, workshops, seminars, an art library and a sculpture park, MAM also contains one of Bahia’s best kept secrets – the most charming bar in Salvador and the best place for a sunset drink.

Of the 17 exhibits in this year’s show, one piece caught the Spectacled Bear’s eye more than any other:

Clarice (Capsules), Proust (Tablets), Camus (Tablets) by São Paulo based Camille Kachani.

Kachani’s work reflects on the idea of thought and poetry as a remedy for the soul. His huge medicine packets made from laminated paper and wood offer the musings of three great 20th century thinkers: Marcel Proust, Albert Camus and Brazilian existentialist writer Clarice Lispector.

The show runs in Salvador until the 5th of March, with Kachani’s piece on show again in Rio later this year. If you can’t get to see it for yourself, check out these pictures, and remember: There are EIGHT pharmacies in Itacaré, but you can only get Clarice L at Urso de Óculos.

Come and soothe your soul.

Clarice (Drágeas) by Camille Kachani, 2008

“The obvous is the most difficult truth to see.”

Clarice Lispector

Imagine if all medicine packets were like this…

And here are Proust and Camus:

Proust (Comprimidos) by Camille Kachani, 2008

Camus (Comprimidos) by Camille Kachani, 2008

Read other Spectacled Bear posts about Lispector here.

The event brings together Brazilian journalists, academics, and cultural specialists for a series of seminars focusing on contemporary thought and cultural identities, and how this diversity can be communicated in the media.

The programme includes round-table events on critical reporting, covering music, literature, cinema, TV, theatre and the Internet. There will also be seminars on language development, presentation, publishing and academic routes to cultural journalism.

With an entry fee of R$1455, the road to knowledge is certainly not toll free, but undoubtedly an excellent investment for aspiring cultural journalists in Brazil. Check out full info, including dates, venues and how to register, here.

To tell us about your event, please use the contact form on this website, or email info (at) ursodeoculos.com