Metaglossia: The Translation World

Once Upon A Deadline in Translation is one of the cross-border events as part of Polish Art Festival 2012, taking place in Southend-on-Sea in the UK and Gdańsk in Poland.

It involves 10 Polish & UK writers (plus translators located in different parts of the world and linked by SKYPE) participating in ‘sister’ events in the Kursaal Gallery Space, Southend-on-Sea and the Günter Grass Galeria in Gdansk.

The original Once Upon a Deadline event was devised by writer and filmmaker Robert Mac, and was first produced in Sydney in 2005. In 2011 the Polish Arts Festival, in collaboration with Robert Mac and London-based publisher OFF_Press(Contemporary Polish Writing in Translation), staged the premiere of Once Upon A Deadline In Translation in Southend-on-Sea.

6 Polish writers were taken to secret destinations in Southend, including Southend Pier, the world’s longest pleasure pier, the cockle sheds in Leigh-on-Sea, and Adventure Island, the fun pier, all of which formed the inspiration for their ‘deadline’ short stories written in Polish and then translated into English by their UK-co-writers. The stories were then read out at the live ‘Read Off’ event, and later published by OFF_Press. Following its success in 2011, the event has evolved and is now migrating to Gdańsk.

Being on time is important, but dangerous

Remember when you were just starting our as a translator, and you were so happy when you finished translations ahead of schedule? “Yeh, I’m the fastest translator! Let’s send this off now and the client will be delighted!”

Yes, but… Sending translations off early has some disadvantages that we should be aware of:...