Creative writing in my childhood and youth

Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, old black and white horror movies starring Christopher Lee and Vincent Price; anthologies of ghost stories published by Pan and edited by Rosemary Timperley; the chilling stories of Edgar Allan Poe and especially his poem 'The Raven' and the film version of his short story 'The Masque of the Red Death' starring Vincent Price as the evil Prince Prospero in medieval Italy, where Death in a red hood and cloak is the uninvited midnight guest (an iconic moment in horror creation, for me) ... as a child the above were an important part of my reading, and viewing, material. 
Little wonder that the first short story I wrote, at age eleven, was a ghost story - called 'The Haunted Bedroom', it was published in my secondary school magazine 'Voice' in Autumn 1975, and was well-received by teachers and classmates! I followed it up over my years of secondary school with several other stories in a similar ghostly or macabre vein - 'The Strange Secret of Moor Castle', 'Last Confession', 'Josephine' and a story whose title escapes me about a 'black widow' living it up on the French Riviera having bumped off no fewer than ten wealthy husbands and (obviously) gotten her evil hands on their fortunes - in retrospect,  this story was embarrassingly camp, cheesy ... while the ghost stories of my eleven year-old self were probably quite stereotypical and not hugely original (yet the English was good and English was - with French - my favourite subject in secondary school). 
Going to work as a Clerical Officer at age eighteen in Irish local government and thereby following in my father's footsteps, managed to stifle whatever literary creativity and imagination, and inspiration, I might have possessed in my childhood and teens. Nothing like a permanent and pensionable pen-pushing post to stultify one's creative impulse. 
Nevertheless, I did pen a play at age twenty called 'Not Dead But Sleeping'. Not a ghost story as the title might lead one to think - but an aspiring Tale of the Unexpected based on the TV programme of Roald Dahl. 
Followed by a novel at age twenty-two - a children's novel based on actual children I knew at the time. I wrote it for those kids, now adults with children of their own (just as Lewis Carroll wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for a real girl, but with more success). My own children's novel, begun in the summer of 1985 on a week off work and completed a year later, was entitled Danger by the Sea. 
Written long before the personal computer and Microsoft Word, I wrote it - as I had written all my previous oeuvre - in longhand, with much enjoyment it has to be said, but a friend typed it for me on an electric typewriter and I presented it to the children on whom it was based (real people in a fictional adventure, inspired by Enid Blyton's Famous Five and Secret Seven which I'd read in my primary schooldays). 
I toyed with the idea of trying to get it published but that notion has long been abandoned. 
I sometimes wonder if it would have been accepted by a publisher.
However, at age thirty-five I left local government on career break, to study languages and marketing as a mature student. Suddenly I was back to my youthful love of language, study and writing. After a long absence, I was studying literary works in French, writing essays - and the creative juices were flowing once more. 
Finally, after my PhD graduation in 2010, I published my thesis as a monograph, so at last I had an actual ISBN publication. At the same time, I began translating French literature (Jules Verne and Michel Verne) into English for the North American Jules Verne Society, and publishing those translations with accompanying critical material and notes I'd written, so I now have several books to my name - not actual self-authored fiction, but an academic work, literary translations, essays, and some academic articles and book reviews. 
What got me writing this blog post on my creative writing of many years ago, was my current research into literary translation as a form of creative rewriting. 

David Coward, translator of Jules Verne and of many other French writers

I've been studying David Coward's 2017 translation, from source language French into target language English, of Jules Verne's classic mid-19th-century novel Vingt Mille Lieues Sous Les Mers. I'm analysing certain chapters from the viewpoint of descriptive-explanatory translation studies, in order to ascertain the overall concept of translation evident in Coward's rendering; the norms of translation to which he adheres; the multiplicity of interacting reasons for/causes of his translation choices, and the types of creativity evident in his rewriting of this Verne classic. 

The reason I'm carrying out this research is in order to write a forthcoming article, and later monograph, on creativity in translation. 

Coward's translation is highly accurate, couched in non-imitative, natural, idiomatic target language expression, and displays creativeness largely through inventive synonymy, syntactic modification, explicitation, expansion, some reduction or simplification, and, especially, interpretation and slight shifts, at low levels, in source text meaning, while preserving global semantic accuracy. Creativity is equally displayed by David Coward in his detailed Introduction and his endnotes and footnotes, which fulfill the exegetic and didactic functions of the translator. 

This post is by way of a very succinct report on my initial research findings in this investigation I'm doing into various contemporary renderings/retranslations of Verne's above-mentioned novel. The forthcoming article will, of course, provide some pertinent examples of Coward's various translation strategies, trying to describe and explain them. The focus of the examples (of coupled pairs of replaced and replacing segments, to use Toury's 1995 DTS terms) will be on highlighting Coward's resourcefulness, originality and creativity as a translator. Some of his translational language is modernizing and informal, which is also the case in another Penguin publication of a Verne translation, viz. Michael Glencross's 2004 rendering of Le Tour du Monde en Quatre-Vingts Jours (1873/2004). 

In contrast, William Butcher's 1992 translation of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea differs from Coward's in its more imitative approach, though Butcher revised this rendering to make it more idiomatic, though preserving many of his original translation choices. 

On the other hand, Walter and Miller's 1993 rendering of the same novel is, at times, more informal than the Coward or Butcher versions. It is equally idiomatic, well-researched and creative in its choices of synonyms. 

Villanova University, USA

Villanova University in the United States was founded by the Augustinian order of priests. They recently advertised for an Assistant Professor in French and Francophone Studies so I said what the heck, I might as well throw my hat into the ring. It seems as though my application to the University of Liège in Belgium has been unsuccessful as, though I've heard nothing, the job is to begin on 2nd October! 

Villanova University has a very good online application system, very user-friendly. 

Time will tell ... Am also applying to various Dublin colleges (despite already working in one of them) ... 

Current reading material

So, as usual, I've got a few books on the go at the moment: 

Still reading Sebastian Barry's novel Days Without End (2016); Amélie Nothomb's Biographie de la Faim (2003) (translated into English as A Life of Hunger) and Charlotte Bronte's Shirley (mid 19th-century) which I just treated myself to yesterday - it was payday - and have recently finished reading the French translation of Stephen King's contemporary horror classic The Shining. All the foregoing books are very enjoyable but I would say my two favourites from this list are Nothomb and Bronte. Both are superb stylists, the former in French, the latter in English. They are both worth reading for their use of language alone - though content is equally engrossing. To be at the start of a Bronte novel - a rare and thereby precious gem - is an unparalleled delight. 

I still haven't begun reading Margaret Atwood's 1985 dystopian classic The Handmaid's Tale, currently adapted as an acclaimed TV series which I haven't seen as yet either, but will hopefully get stuck in before too long. I'd also like to read - in the same science-fiction (or anticipation?) apocalyptic genre, a book I saw yesterday in Chapters' Bookstore in Parnell Street Dublin, viz. PD James's The Children of Men. 

I recently completed the translation from French into English of a French novel from 1929 for a private client - the translation is due to be published next year. I can't say anything more about it for now, owing to client confidentiality but all will be revealed in the fullness of time. 

Market Leader - an excellent course book for Business English to Speakers of Other Languages

As I'm currently teaching Business English as a Foreign Language, I recently invested in the Upper Intermediate course book with audio CDs, Market Leader, published by Pearson. Last week I began using some of these CDs, which cover such topics as communication, international marketing, job satisfaction, team building, management styles and qualities, and effective presentations. Students have found the content very helpful and enjoyable. A highly recommended set of course materials, covering all levels from Elementary to Advanced. 

Here are the few book reviews i've written for Amazon.com.

Martin Chuzzlewit (Penguin Classics)
by Charles DickensEdition: Paperback
Price: $11.05
Availability: In Stock62 used & new from $1.89

The magical universe of Dickens: Review posted to Amazon on October 14, 2009

My late father, Frank O'Driscoll (1927-1994), had a wonderful, inherited collection of old, dusty volumes of classic English literature, a home library with which I grew up and from which I developed a love for reading and discovery. Almost all of Dickens' novels formed part of this personal library. Yet I came to Dickens later in life.

As a child, his formal, florid, Victorian prose seemed to me to be a little offputting. Yet I loved television and stage musical adaptations of such classics as 'Oliver Twist' and 'A Christmas Carol', both of which were produced as school musicals at my secondary school in the 1970s and in which I took part.

I think the images and characters created by Dickens are part of the collective cultural consciousness, on a par with the contemporary impact of Harry Potter, for example. Dickens' novels have proved, over the decades, to be a fecund territory for screen adaptations.

But it is only in the last few years that I have finally begun to read his novels in earnest, and have thus far enjoyed such treasures as 'The Pickwick Papers', 'The Old Curiosity Shop', 'David Copperfield', 'Nicholas Nickleby', 'Dombey and Son', 'A Tale of Two Cities', 'Great Expectations' and, of course, 'Martin Chuzzlewit'. With each long novel, Dickens creates a fantastic, varied universe of characters, plots and sub-plots. All of human life is paraded in each novel, and his works rival Shakespeare in their beautiful use of language, their engrossing plots and their studies of human nature, with characters ranging from the most virtuous to the basest and most despicable. However, one difficulty I have with Dickens is that so many of his characters seem caricatural.

In 'Martin Chuzzlewit', some characters have no redeeming features and are completely egotistical and malicious, e.g. Jonas Chuzzlewit and Mr Pecksniff. In contrast, other characters are almost completely virtuous and less believable in consequence of their perfection, e.g. Tom and Ruth Pinch and Martin Tapley. On the other hand, the eponymous hero, Martin Chuzzlewit (Junior) does trace a personal journey from selfishness to greater kindness and consideration for others.

Just as the characters are very diverse, so too are the themes and tones of this and other novels by Charles Dickens. There is much humour in the form of irony, satire and hyperbole, much sadness and much stinging social criticism. Dickens' novels speak on different levels to different readers, and fulfil multiple purposes, from entertainment to social commentary. The latter is often intended to bring about change, e.g. Dickens paints a witheringly denunciatory portrait of the Chancery legal system of the 19th century in Britain in 'Bleak House', and of the savagery and corruption of the so-called schools such as Dotheboys Hall, Yorkshire, in 'Nicholas Nickleby'. Much of his criticism in 'Chuzzlewit' is reserved for Americans; Dickens had travelled throughout the USA, and was displeased by some aspects of its society and people at that time. Chuzzlewit and Tapley thus serve as reflectors for Dickens' animosity towards the USA, as they journey to the States and encounter hypocrisy and underhand business dealings which leave them penniless and in broken health.

Like all of Dickens' novels, 'Chuzzlewit' is long and involved, with frequent changes of scene and complex sub-plots which gradually merge into each other and resolve themselves.

The language is engaging, but it does require concentration. Effort on the part of the reader reaps its own rewards. Airport or beach fiction this is not. My father once said of Dickens that each of his novels could be read and reread, at least twice; one could firstly enjoy the plot, and later savour the delicious prose. Book sales and continuing adaptations of his novels testify to the fact that Dickens' literature has stood the test of time. And deservedly so, on the evidence of 'Martin Chuzzlewit' alone.

Sugar Stories

A couple of years back, I translated, from French into English, a so-called 'photo roman' called Sugar Stories about the lives and loves of a group of young gay Paris-based guys. After I had translated a number of seasons of episodes, the makers of this series became too busy with other projects to continue with their on line photographic comic strip and, sadly, it was abruptly discontinued. 
However, last week, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Sugar Stories has reappeared with equal suddenness on the Web. 
A new episode has been posted. 
It's an interesting series and worth checking out at www.sugarstories.com. 

Feels good to be back!

After six years absence from this particular blog - during which time I had started a couple of different blogs - it's good to be finally back to this my original blog, the one I personally prefer. 
In my last post to this blog a few moments ago, I spoke about an interview I had to do recently in French. To prepare for that interview, I had a one-to-one class at the Alliance Française here in Dublin. 
I would recommend their French native speaker teachers highly. 
Their library of French-language resources is also excellent. And their film club and other cultural events throughout the year. 

University of Liege, Belgium

Last month, I got the chance to visit, for the first time, the beautiful Belgian city of Liege, near Brussels, and, in particular, the University of that city, as I was called for interview for the position of Teaching Fellow in French-English Translation Studies. 
The post would involve lecturing in such subjects as French-English practical translation activity (general and applied translating, thus translating texts in a variety of textual and discursive genres, including, presumably, literary and business texts among others); teaching Translation Theory (for me, one of the best general introductions to all aspects of the dynamic and complex discipline of Translation Studies is Jeremy Munday's Introducing Translation Studies - Theories and Applications the third edition of which dates from 2012 and which is accompanied by an excellent website (a companion website), though other excellent texts useful to both students and lecturers alike include Williams' Theories of Translation (2013)); teaching Anglophone contemporary society and civilization; English-French contrastive linguistics, and English to Speakers of Other Languages especially Academic English. 
The Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the University of Liege is in the historic town centre, in a lovely building which is a former Jesuit college. The university celebrates its two hundredth anniversary this year. 
On the day of the interview, I had first to translate from French to English a book review, then give a presentation to faculty on how I would teach the translation of that text, and finally do an interview in French. 
I felt it all went well and I was happy with my performance. They told me it would take a few weeks before a decision would be communicated to candidates. Still waiting to hear. 
I continue to teach English at a private languages school in Dublin, Englishour. As well as teaching General English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at all levels, I also teach Business English and exam preparation English. 
I have two new publications forthcoming in the USA with the Palik Series of the North American Jules Verne Society (NAJVS), both containing translations of Jules and Michel Verne's work from French to English, with notes and introductions. 
I also recently translated a French novel for a private client. 
As for current reading material: am enjoying the French translation of Stephen King's The Shining; Days Without End (2016) by Sebastian Barry; Biographie de la Faim (2003) by Amélie Nothomb and The Handmaid's Tale (1985) by Margaret Atwood. 
I also continue to watch the programmes of France 24 and France Infos on line, especially their news bulletins, almost every day, and to read the French press (especially Le Monde but also other sources on line, especially Libération.) 

Creativity in Translation

I'm currently very interested in the whole area of creativity, especially as manifested by literary translators. I'm therefore reading various articles on translatorial creativity and, more generally, on creativity studies which analyze and try to explain the origins and nature of human creativity within the arts, science, academia and so on, from philosophical and psychological standpoints. I'm also researching the ways in which some contemporary translators of Verne into English have shown unique, individual creativity. 
The purposes of such research are twofold: it is being conducted firstly for an article on translation of the classics which I'm writing and, secondly, for a future monograph on creativity in translation . 
Within translation studies, scholars such as Boase-Beier and Delisle have written on the ways in which translating is a creative process. Outside the specific confines of the discipline of Translation Studies, an excellent collection of seminal articles on creativity studies is the 1976 book The Creativity Question edited by Rothenberg and Hausman, published by Duke University Press. I've also recently come across an interesting article by an ESL Lecturer in the Middle East who discusses how we might evaluate creative writing by English language students, and her assessment rubrics and criteria are, I feel, usefully applicable to assessing translators' creative outputs. 
For me, translation - especially literary, including poetic translation - is creative by definition, as transferring a text inter-lingually from one language and culture to another involves, not code-switching, but trying to represent the source text in the different worldview of the target language and culture. Translators therefore are obliged to solve problems at every turn, coming up with inventive synonymy, explication, non-imitative renderings, cultural equivalences and individual interpretations. They are unavoidably saying something different to the original. Poetry translation is probably the most creative genre of translating activity, but all genres of text in translation require creative translating. 
For my article and later monograph, I'm interested in how contemporary renderings in English of Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas demonstrate varying individual creative solutions by the problem-solving, inventive translators, and in how translators of other Verne novels, as well as translations of J.K. Rowling, Lucy Maud Montgomery and the Grimm Brothers, and Verne as an adapter to the theatre among others, manifest creativity. 
In sum, translation may be more than Malmkjaer's 'derived creativity' - Jean Delisle and Jean Boase-Beier, among others, see translating as completely creative and original rather than somehow derivative or secondary. 
Models of the creative process - such as Wallas's model of creativity as entailing preparation, incubation, inspiration and revision - will be applied by me to the specific creative processes engaged in by literary translators. Creativity as part of the efficient cause of the individual translator's self-inscription on her translated text is the principal cause of translation forms. 
But what might cause creativity itself within human beings, creativity being defined as the production of something novel, original and valuable? Theories of the causes of creative products are both genetic and teleological in nature, and there are certain psychological attributes of creative people which have been advanced by certain theorists, and which have specifically been found to exist in translators, such as openness to experience, a concern for discovery, etc.
For me, an important part of creativity is divergent production, so that translators in their problem-solving can brainstorm a variety of original solutions. 
PS I have recently uploaded, to academia.edu, a draft article on Adaptation Studies.