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RICHARD VILLAGEFOUNDRY EDITIONS, FOUNDERFor our next Featured Press Spotlight, we spoke with publisher and translator Richard Village, founder of Mediterranean translation specialists and one of the newest small presses on the UK publishing scene, Foundry Editions.
Launched in 2023, Foundry Editions has already rolled out an eclectic catalogue of new titles this summer—from authors such as Maria Grazia Calandrone, Rosa Ribas, and Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin—with many more on the publishing horizon. Ahead of our first-ever Opt Indie Book Club, where we’ll be reading one of Foundry Editions’ lead titles, Brandy Sour by Constantia Soteriou, we were excited to sit down with Richard, who was also joined by David Sassoon, to discuss how their first season of publishing has played out, learn more about their journey into publishing, and discover what we can expect from Foundry Editions in the coming year. |
JR: Hello, how are you both?
DS: We're good.
RV: Good. It's like back-to-school week.
JR: I know, it’s either a really good time for people or a bit of a stressful one!
RV: Yeah, I think we’re sinking into it. There’s been quite a lot of running around like a headless chicken, but I think it’s all kind of, you know, getting back in there.
DS: It’s been a complete shock to my body and system because I had two proper weeks off. And yeah, plus the haze that is August in publishing, because everyone seems to descend as one. But then it’s like… everything happens in the next few weeks.
RV: It's just email, email, email!
JR: And then obviously, you’ve got October - that the end of September, start of October time, it’s the big Christmas push. So it’s all getting lined up for that.
DS: Exactly.
RV: Yeah, we are getting lined up for that. Whether anybody pays attention to us or not or buys anything, that’s another story. But we’re getting ready for it.
JR: Richard, we met back in July, didn’t we? Can you believe that was only July? It feels like yesterday, but also like last year. At that point, you’d published two books, with another coming out, I think, a week or two after we saw each other.
RV: Yeah, indeed.
JR: So, it’s been an interesting start to your publishing year. How have the last few months been? How were those first few months of getting books out into the world?
RV: Yeah, I mean, we’ve done it. It was madcap. The idea was madcap, and the process is… it’s a fairly madcap thing to do. We had no experience, no idea what we were doing, and we tried to do it all in about a third of the time we should’ve taken. So, it’s been crackers.
JR: Yeah, it's a proper baptism of fire.
RV: Totally. When we started, we said, "If we’re going to do this, we’ve got to do it properly." So, we tried to hit it as hard as we could. We aimed to release books at the right time of year, like sunny Mediterranean books for the summer, and we kind of managed to pull it off.
DS: Yeah, more or less. We started from a position of knowing nothing about the industry and just dove in. Everything is a first-time. We’re still encountering new things every day, learning and adapting. Swan-like!
RV: Yeah, exactly. We’re very graceful.
DS: But what you don’t see is all the chaos underneath.
JR: That’s the mystery of publishing, though, isn’t it? We need to be less like swans and share how stressful it is, the sleepless nights, and all that.
RV: Oh, it’s like plate spinning. I’ve done a lot in my life - I mean, I haven’t done that many things in my life, but I’ve never needed to spin plates as much as I do in publishing. It’s really something.
DS: We’re running a small shop. We’re the marketing department, we are the sales, legal, commercial, editorial—all of it. We’ve worked in related areas in our previous lives, but now we’re handling all aspects ourselves. It’s good though.
JR: Yeah. So, Richard, I’ve read a bit about your background. You did a modern languages degree and then went back to do an MA in literary translation.
RV: I did.
JR: And David, you were in the management of classical musical arts, is that right?
DS: Where did you find that out?
RV: Did I not mention that?
DS: Yeah, that was another life—a whole other life. I’ve had many lives now. I did Renaissance and Baroque Italian studies at university, then worked with musicians and singers, specifically in opera and classical music, for about 12 years. During that time, I also did a law degree focused on that world.
And then around 2003 or 2004, I took a left turn because - to put it mildly - musicians and singers were stressful, and for my own sanity, I needed a change. So, I started a company with a friend doing medical outsourcing and made a go of that, which went well. After that, I got into consultancy for education projects, healthcare, educational retail, and other stuff to keep things interesting and pay the bills.
DS: We're good.
RV: Good. It's like back-to-school week.
JR: I know, it’s either a really good time for people or a bit of a stressful one!
RV: Yeah, I think we’re sinking into it. There’s been quite a lot of running around like a headless chicken, but I think it’s all kind of, you know, getting back in there.
DS: It’s been a complete shock to my body and system because I had two proper weeks off. And yeah, plus the haze that is August in publishing, because everyone seems to descend as one. But then it’s like… everything happens in the next few weeks.
RV: It's just email, email, email!
JR: And then obviously, you’ve got October - that the end of September, start of October time, it’s the big Christmas push. So it’s all getting lined up for that.
DS: Exactly.
RV: Yeah, we are getting lined up for that. Whether anybody pays attention to us or not or buys anything, that’s another story. But we’re getting ready for it.
JR: Richard, we met back in July, didn’t we? Can you believe that was only July? It feels like yesterday, but also like last year. At that point, you’d published two books, with another coming out, I think, a week or two after we saw each other.
RV: Yeah, indeed.
JR: So, it’s been an interesting start to your publishing year. How have the last few months been? How were those first few months of getting books out into the world?
RV: Yeah, I mean, we’ve done it. It was madcap. The idea was madcap, and the process is… it’s a fairly madcap thing to do. We had no experience, no idea what we were doing, and we tried to do it all in about a third of the time we should’ve taken. So, it’s been crackers.
JR: Yeah, it's a proper baptism of fire.
RV: Totally. When we started, we said, "If we’re going to do this, we’ve got to do it properly." So, we tried to hit it as hard as we could. We aimed to release books at the right time of year, like sunny Mediterranean books for the summer, and we kind of managed to pull it off.
DS: Yeah, more or less. We started from a position of knowing nothing about the industry and just dove in. Everything is a first-time. We’re still encountering new things every day, learning and adapting. Swan-like!
RV: Yeah, exactly. We’re very graceful.
DS: But what you don’t see is all the chaos underneath.
JR: That’s the mystery of publishing, though, isn’t it? We need to be less like swans and share how stressful it is, the sleepless nights, and all that.
RV: Oh, it’s like plate spinning. I’ve done a lot in my life - I mean, I haven’t done that many things in my life, but I’ve never needed to spin plates as much as I do in publishing. It’s really something.
DS: We’re running a small shop. We’re the marketing department, we are the sales, legal, commercial, editorial—all of it. We’ve worked in related areas in our previous lives, but now we’re handling all aspects ourselves. It’s good though.
JR: Yeah. So, Richard, I’ve read a bit about your background. You did a modern languages degree and then went back to do an MA in literary translation.
RV: I did.
JR: And David, you were in the management of classical musical arts, is that right?
DS: Where did you find that out?
RV: Did I not mention that?
DS: Yeah, that was another life—a whole other life. I’ve had many lives now. I did Renaissance and Baroque Italian studies at university, then worked with musicians and singers, specifically in opera and classical music, for about 12 years. During that time, I also did a law degree focused on that world.
And then around 2003 or 2004, I took a left turn because - to put it mildly - musicians and singers were stressful, and for my own sanity, I needed a change. So, I started a company with a friend doing medical outsourcing and made a go of that, which went well. After that, I got into consultancy for education projects, healthcare, educational retail, and other stuff to keep things interesting and pay the bills.
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Then, last year, Richard approached me and said, "I’m doing this publishing thing. You know about royalties from your work with music. Would you set up the contracts and royalty rates?" It started as a casual, mates-rates kind of thing. Then it became, "Would you negotiate contracts?" and, "Would you, you know, do more?"
RV: Yeah, but he liked it. He really liked it. DS: I did! It’s much more fun than building a school. So, it developed into us doing this together, and here we are. JR: So, quite a journey between classical music and publishing, but it’s still a love of yours? DS: Absolutely. I still love classical music, but now I appreciate it by going to concerts rather than living out their dramas! JR: Yeah, that’s fair enough. I think, I mean, every industry has its benefits. And, obviously, books are a bit wild. On the surface, people say it’s retail, but it’s probably the least retail part of that industry. How has the community accepted you since you’ve started? Have you had any mentoring from other publishers? Any publishing friends you can lean on for tips and tricks? DS: It’s early days, so everyone’s still being nice to us. |
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RV: Yeah, everyone’s been amazing, really. How it all came about was kind of funny. I had absolutely no idea I wanted to have a publishing company. I’m not one of those people who sat there for 54 years thinking, "If only I could have a publishing company." It never crossed my mind, despite my obsession with books and languages. It’s weird that I never thought of it. I thought translation was the way for me—this is very midlife crisis-y stuff, okay? We’ve got to frame it within that context.
So, I thought, yeah, I’ll be a translator. I can carry on doing what I’m doing and translate on the side. So, I started reaching out to people. By fate, luck, or whatever you want to call it, I got to meet Stefan Tobler from And Other Stories and Jacques Testard from Fitzcarraldo Editions.
Both of them were amazing and gave me a lot of their time, like proper good chats. I was like, "I’m this old bloke who wants to be a translator." And both of them were slightly like, "Don’t you think you should be a publisher?"
They said literature in translation is really growing, and we need more publishers to keep up with demand. They do what—20 books a year? And with the number of books coming out and the number of readers interested, we need more publishers.
And I was like, "I’ve never thought of having a publishing house." But they both planted the idea in my head. I said to myself, "I’ll do this if I can come up with a clear focus." My background is in branding, as you may or may not know, so I didn’t want to just publish books in translation randomly. There needed to be a focus, a reason for people to buy my books instead of those from Fitzcarraldo or And Other Stories—from both a reader’s perspective and a rights holder’s perspective.
That’s where the Mediterranean focus came from. With that clear idea and purpose, we thought, "Let’s give it a go." So, we leapt into it, and everyone has just been amazing. We’ve been super lucky. It took a lot of, let’s say, "fan dancing" to get people on board. There was a lot of showing off to Inpress [Books] and get the right distribution.
We had to do a lot of stroking Sophie O’Neill, convincing her, "You do want to take us on this year before taking on other publishers, right? You do, you do." And being with them is amazing. What they’ve done for the community is phenomenal, not just between publishers but also in their relationships with people like you, with booksellers, and the wider community. It’s brilliant.
DS: Also, and now that we’re operating, we’re falling into the community more. There’s Marigold Atkey at Daunt Books, Joe Harper at Gallic Books, and I can call them up for advice. It could be something about contracts, or how they track royalty rates. The industry is actually quite communal, very open, and very giving. It’s really nice. Honestly, it’s a nicer industry than most. I don’t know if it’s particularly this way just here, as I don’t have the breadth of experience, but I was talking to a French agent about this and mentioned how helpful everyone is here. She was like, "Oh, they’re all terrible in Paris," but, you know...
JR: That’s so funny!
DS: “You’re very lucky!”
RV: I mean, look, in small independent presses, and even independent bookshops, it’s like we’re in a gang together. We’re all doing this because we can’t help ourselves, and so people are very like-minded and deeply supportive. It’s brilliant.
JR: Stefan’s been incredibly supportive to me as well, both when I was running the bookshop and now with Opt Indie. He’s always been generous with his time and happy to share contacts, pointing me to the right people. That sort of thing.
RV: Yeah, yeah, yeah!
JR: That’s been amazing. So, from those early conversations to deciding, “We’re going to focus on the Mediterranean—Spanish, Cypriot, Italian authors”—what was the next step? How did you reach out to authors? Were you going direct or through agencies?
So, I thought, yeah, I’ll be a translator. I can carry on doing what I’m doing and translate on the side. So, I started reaching out to people. By fate, luck, or whatever you want to call it, I got to meet Stefan Tobler from And Other Stories and Jacques Testard from Fitzcarraldo Editions.
Both of them were amazing and gave me a lot of their time, like proper good chats. I was like, "I’m this old bloke who wants to be a translator." And both of them were slightly like, "Don’t you think you should be a publisher?"
They said literature in translation is really growing, and we need more publishers to keep up with demand. They do what—20 books a year? And with the number of books coming out and the number of readers interested, we need more publishers.
And I was like, "I’ve never thought of having a publishing house." But they both planted the idea in my head. I said to myself, "I’ll do this if I can come up with a clear focus." My background is in branding, as you may or may not know, so I didn’t want to just publish books in translation randomly. There needed to be a focus, a reason for people to buy my books instead of those from Fitzcarraldo or And Other Stories—from both a reader’s perspective and a rights holder’s perspective.
That’s where the Mediterranean focus came from. With that clear idea and purpose, we thought, "Let’s give it a go." So, we leapt into it, and everyone has just been amazing. We’ve been super lucky. It took a lot of, let’s say, "fan dancing" to get people on board. There was a lot of showing off to Inpress [Books] and get the right distribution.
We had to do a lot of stroking Sophie O’Neill, convincing her, "You do want to take us on this year before taking on other publishers, right? You do, you do." And being with them is amazing. What they’ve done for the community is phenomenal, not just between publishers but also in their relationships with people like you, with booksellers, and the wider community. It’s brilliant.
DS: Also, and now that we’re operating, we’re falling into the community more. There’s Marigold Atkey at Daunt Books, Joe Harper at Gallic Books, and I can call them up for advice. It could be something about contracts, or how they track royalty rates. The industry is actually quite communal, very open, and very giving. It’s really nice. Honestly, it’s a nicer industry than most. I don’t know if it’s particularly this way just here, as I don’t have the breadth of experience, but I was talking to a French agent about this and mentioned how helpful everyone is here. She was like, "Oh, they’re all terrible in Paris," but, you know...
JR: That’s so funny!
DS: “You’re very lucky!”
RV: I mean, look, in small independent presses, and even independent bookshops, it’s like we’re in a gang together. We’re all doing this because we can’t help ourselves, and so people are very like-minded and deeply supportive. It’s brilliant.
JR: Stefan’s been incredibly supportive to me as well, both when I was running the bookshop and now with Opt Indie. He’s always been generous with his time and happy to share contacts, pointing me to the right people. That sort of thing.
RV: Yeah, yeah, yeah!
JR: That’s been amazing. So, from those early conversations to deciding, “We’re going to focus on the Mediterranean—Spanish, Cypriot, Italian authors”—what was the next step? How did you reach out to authors? Were you going direct or through agencies?
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DS: Those first steps were all Richard’s.
RV: Yeah, it all started with Far. I literally picked it up while my brother-in-law was getting married in Toledo. He’s half-Spanish. Anyway, I needed a book for the train. I love being in bookshops, so I bought two books, and they were both absolute belters. One was Far, and the other was Spanish Beauty, which is coming out in January. I thought, "These books are amazing. Everyone should read them." Both had this slightly off-kilter take on Spain, which I found really interesting—like understanding the Spanish economic crisis through urbanisation. It was clever and relevant, especially for British readers who have a certain view of Spain or just want a great book. I actually used both books as part of my application to get into UEA (University of East Anglia). When we started this thing, I thought, “Okay, let’s give it a go.” My rule was to send one email a day—whether to someone like Stefan, a bookseller, or a rights holder—and see what happens. If I got a bunch of no’s, then that’s great, we tried. But if I got yeses, we’d move forward. So, I wrote to the rights holder of Far, an amazing agent in Lisbon named Ella Cher, and she said, “Yes, of course, let’s talk about it.” Then there was an Italian book that Stefan had asked me to read for him at And Other Stories. I loved it, but he didn’t want to publish it. So I thought, “Maybe I could write a letter about that as well.” And in the meantime, I saw a sample translation by a new emerging Italian translator, and I was like, “She’s amazing! I must meet her.” |
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We had a Zoom call, and it turned out she had translated the English sample and was a big advocate for the book. So, I wrote to the publisher, Einaudi, that afternoon, and they said, “Yes, of course.”
At that point, I realised, "Oh my god, these people actually want us to publish their books in English." That was extraordinary. So, every day I just took it one step at a time, and it was amazing to have big houses like Einaudi and Tusquets willing to take a chance on us.
JR: It’s such a balance between risk-taking and the willingness to try something new, right? You’re venturing into a new industry, but for them, it’s also about breaking into a British audience, which is entirely different.
RV: You know what’s interesting, James? It is entirely different. And I think my complete lack of knowledge about the British publishing industry worked in our favor. I could say things like, “It doesn’t matter if this book sold 35,000 copies in Italy; no one here has heard of it. It’s like a debut novel.” Managing expectations from that perspective was crucial. And I wonder if my incredible naivety—or stupidity—actually helped.
DS: That’s something we need to hold onto, isn’t it? That naivety. Going into this thinking, “Oh, we can’t do that? Well, yes, we can.”
RV: Exactly! People say, “You can’t do that in six months.” But actually, you can.
DS: Of course, it’s better if you have a year, but we’re making things happen because we have to. And that’s something we bring to the table.
RV: I agree, and I think that the fact that we’re a bit older in the tooth, and have done a lot in our lives beforehand, means we know how to find solutions and make things happen. Things that might seem insurmountable are just like, “Well, that’s what you do.” We made a decision early on to work with a hard-hitting PR and publicity person so that we’d land well. That’s paid off massively in terms of getting good coverage. Knowing where to allocate the budget, even if it’s not the typical publishing standard, has been interesting and beneficial for us.
JR: Now that you’ve got a few books under your belt, they all seem quite different from one another. I know your focus is more geographic than genre-based, but what drew you to these particular works? Is there something beyond geography - a thread that runs between them all - that ties them together and defines Foundry Editions?
RV: I think so. I mean, it’s quite subjective, of course, but I believe there’s a thread that runs through them. It’s about really good writing, not necessarily in an avant-garde or experimental way, but writers who express themselves beautifully. I’m lucky that I can read three of the languages we focus on, and that ability makes a bigger difference than I could even have imagined. But actually, we can read things much more quickly and form solid opinions on them, and we can communicate directly with the authors or agents in their languages, which is rare here.
So, yes—beautiful, beautiful writing is key. I’m also drawn to works that offer a slightly off-center vision of things. For example, instead of telling the Elena Ferrante story about women living in poverty in southern Italy, we’d rather tell Maria Grazia Calandrone’s story.
It’s interesting—at an event in Peckham the other night, Georgia and Antonella [Lettieri] discussed the translation of Your Little Matter. Afterward, I mentioned that I don’t think our books are particularly radical or experimental, and Georgia said, “What are you talking about? All of them are!” I think what makes them special is that they’re off-kilter but not in an in-your-face way. They’re beautifully crafted and have a distinct vision.
At that point, I realised, "Oh my god, these people actually want us to publish their books in English." That was extraordinary. So, every day I just took it one step at a time, and it was amazing to have big houses like Einaudi and Tusquets willing to take a chance on us.
JR: It’s such a balance between risk-taking and the willingness to try something new, right? You’re venturing into a new industry, but for them, it’s also about breaking into a British audience, which is entirely different.
RV: You know what’s interesting, James? It is entirely different. And I think my complete lack of knowledge about the British publishing industry worked in our favor. I could say things like, “It doesn’t matter if this book sold 35,000 copies in Italy; no one here has heard of it. It’s like a debut novel.” Managing expectations from that perspective was crucial. And I wonder if my incredible naivety—or stupidity—actually helped.
DS: That’s something we need to hold onto, isn’t it? That naivety. Going into this thinking, “Oh, we can’t do that? Well, yes, we can.”
RV: Exactly! People say, “You can’t do that in six months.” But actually, you can.
DS: Of course, it’s better if you have a year, but we’re making things happen because we have to. And that’s something we bring to the table.
RV: I agree, and I think that the fact that we’re a bit older in the tooth, and have done a lot in our lives beforehand, means we know how to find solutions and make things happen. Things that might seem insurmountable are just like, “Well, that’s what you do.” We made a decision early on to work with a hard-hitting PR and publicity person so that we’d land well. That’s paid off massively in terms of getting good coverage. Knowing where to allocate the budget, even if it’s not the typical publishing standard, has been interesting and beneficial for us.
JR: Now that you’ve got a few books under your belt, they all seem quite different from one another. I know your focus is more geographic than genre-based, but what drew you to these particular works? Is there something beyond geography - a thread that runs between them all - that ties them together and defines Foundry Editions?
RV: I think so. I mean, it’s quite subjective, of course, but I believe there’s a thread that runs through them. It’s about really good writing, not necessarily in an avant-garde or experimental way, but writers who express themselves beautifully. I’m lucky that I can read three of the languages we focus on, and that ability makes a bigger difference than I could even have imagined. But actually, we can read things much more quickly and form solid opinions on them, and we can communicate directly with the authors or agents in their languages, which is rare here.
So, yes—beautiful, beautiful writing is key. I’m also drawn to works that offer a slightly off-center vision of things. For example, instead of telling the Elena Ferrante story about women living in poverty in southern Italy, we’d rather tell Maria Grazia Calandrone’s story.
It’s interesting—at an event in Peckham the other night, Georgia and Antonella [Lettieri] discussed the translation of Your Little Matter. Afterward, I mentioned that I don’t think our books are particularly radical or experimental, and Georgia said, “What are you talking about? All of them are!” I think what makes them special is that they’re off-kilter but not in an in-your-face way. They’re beautifully crafted and have a distinct vision.
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When we receive samples from translators or pitches from foreign rights holders, I think our age and experience shape our taste. Our books might appeal more to an older audience, not necessarily the very young readers who are just getting into translated works, which is something we’ll need to consider. But overall, our books are off-kilter, but not simply about local colour, and they’re beautifully written and have a unique voice.
One thing I always tell people when we’re pitched books is that I don’t want a book that could have been written by an anglophone. I know that sounds banal but there are a lot of translated works actualy could have been written in English in the original language. And so I definitely want readers to experience something authentically Spanish, Italian, or whatever the origin. I want our books to make readers feel like they’re crossing borders in a meaningful way. DS: I think what’s consistent across the books is that each one has a unique voice and a distinct perspective—off-kilter, but not in a loud or obvious way. Even though Far deals with universal themes of housing, homelessness and displacement, it really couldn’t have been set anywhere but Spain. RV: Exactly. That parchedness of it all. DS: It’s about maintaining that sense of place while offering readers a new perspective, a fresh take that will hopefully make them feel something different. |
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RV: And I think it’s really important for us to maintain that. Because they are very broad - the genre is very broad - and when I think about what is coming next year, actually, they are incredibly broad and very different. Not genres, but the subject matter and the voices and the authors are very, very disparate, but what links them is that sense of a different take that’s just going to make English readers have a sense of something.
JR: There’s been a noticeable shift toward translated fiction recently, maybe because of the pandemic and the increased global connection through the internet. People are seeking out new voices and perspectives. For a while, we saw a lot of Japanese, French, and German translations. But now, it’s exciting to see more Cypriot or Italian authors. My next question is about translation itself.
I love the idea of things getting slightly “lost” in translation, with different versions having unique tones or phrases. Richard, as someone who reads other languages, how particular are you about translations? Do you feel like a translation can ever truly be complete, given how much nuance a text can have?
RV: Oh, here’s a can of worms! So what do I think? I think that no, translations are never finished, and obviously no two translators are going to do the same thing. For me, a translator has a total duty to capture the holistic sense of a book and convey the author’s voice accurately in the target language. Every sentence needs to reflect that. If a sentence is off, because there’s not been a concentration on that, it disrupts the flow and it’s awful. I’m quite strict about this. So I'm awful, I'm really, really stern and it's really awful because you know I do it as well and you know Spanish Beauty is going to be translated by me which is a huge self-indulgence…
That said, there are good and bad translators, just as there are good and bad translations. As an industry, we need to recognise this. If a translation isn’t good enough, we have to be honest. For example, we acquired the rights to a book last year, but I couldn’t keep the original translator because their work wasn’t up to the standard I wanted. Our books are beautifully written in their original languages, and the English translations must meet that same quality. Style and quality are crucial to me, it’s very important to me, and I think we’ve done well so far by choosing excellent translators.
JR: Do you think that viewpoint ruffles feathers in the industry?
RV: Oh, absolutely. What I’ve just said will definitely ruffle feathers. I mean, I could go on about this, you know. The narrative, the nice fluffy Richard narrative is, “Oh, I don't think I could sit in a room for eight months doing something”. Yes. This is true, but I think there is another narrative which is that actually there are problems with translation and with the literary translation community in this country, which I think are quite big. And I think that it would be better to address things like translated relationships with publishing houses. Having literary translators who literally do not understand what we do for a living. They don't understand the mechanisms of what we do or of what you guys do. And it's just like, you can't participate in this if you don't know what publishers do for a living and what it entails and what booksellers do for a living. We're all part of this ecosystem… I find it weird. So I find it a bit problematic. But there are some, but there are belting ones and we've got belting ones.
JR: It’s interesting that now some of the best ones and biggest translators have become almost household names, as translation has grown. But do you think that it's maybe gotten too big, too quick?
RV: Actually, no. I’d argue that literary translation is still much smaller than people think. So I would argue, realistically, in any one year, there are 80 jobs in literary translation in this country.
JR: Wow, okay, that is a surprise, actually.
RV: Because if you think about it, a kind of top, very much sought-after translator will probably do three a year. So if you times three by 80, what do you get? How many more books in translation are coming out in this country every year? And so I think it's actually a minuscule industry. And I think it remains a minuscule industry. And one of my massive problems is the narrative that this is a massive thing… We're getting into things that really we shouldn't be getting into here at all.
JR: There’s been a noticeable shift toward translated fiction recently, maybe because of the pandemic and the increased global connection through the internet. People are seeking out new voices and perspectives. For a while, we saw a lot of Japanese, French, and German translations. But now, it’s exciting to see more Cypriot or Italian authors. My next question is about translation itself.
I love the idea of things getting slightly “lost” in translation, with different versions having unique tones or phrases. Richard, as someone who reads other languages, how particular are you about translations? Do you feel like a translation can ever truly be complete, given how much nuance a text can have?
RV: Oh, here’s a can of worms! So what do I think? I think that no, translations are never finished, and obviously no two translators are going to do the same thing. For me, a translator has a total duty to capture the holistic sense of a book and convey the author’s voice accurately in the target language. Every sentence needs to reflect that. If a sentence is off, because there’s not been a concentration on that, it disrupts the flow and it’s awful. I’m quite strict about this. So I'm awful, I'm really, really stern and it's really awful because you know I do it as well and you know Spanish Beauty is going to be translated by me which is a huge self-indulgence…
That said, there are good and bad translators, just as there are good and bad translations. As an industry, we need to recognise this. If a translation isn’t good enough, we have to be honest. For example, we acquired the rights to a book last year, but I couldn’t keep the original translator because their work wasn’t up to the standard I wanted. Our books are beautifully written in their original languages, and the English translations must meet that same quality. Style and quality are crucial to me, it’s very important to me, and I think we’ve done well so far by choosing excellent translators.
JR: Do you think that viewpoint ruffles feathers in the industry?
RV: Oh, absolutely. What I’ve just said will definitely ruffle feathers. I mean, I could go on about this, you know. The narrative, the nice fluffy Richard narrative is, “Oh, I don't think I could sit in a room for eight months doing something”. Yes. This is true, but I think there is another narrative which is that actually there are problems with translation and with the literary translation community in this country, which I think are quite big. And I think that it would be better to address things like translated relationships with publishing houses. Having literary translators who literally do not understand what we do for a living. They don't understand the mechanisms of what we do or of what you guys do. And it's just like, you can't participate in this if you don't know what publishers do for a living and what it entails and what booksellers do for a living. We're all part of this ecosystem… I find it weird. So I find it a bit problematic. But there are some, but there are belting ones and we've got belting ones.
JR: It’s interesting that now some of the best ones and biggest translators have become almost household names, as translation has grown. But do you think that it's maybe gotten too big, too quick?
RV: Actually, no. I’d argue that literary translation is still much smaller than people think. So I would argue, realistically, in any one year, there are 80 jobs in literary translation in this country.
JR: Wow, okay, that is a surprise, actually.
RV: Because if you think about it, a kind of top, very much sought-after translator will probably do three a year. So if you times three by 80, what do you get? How many more books in translation are coming out in this country every year? And so I think it's actually a minuscule industry. And I think it remains a minuscule industry. And one of my massive problems is the narrative that this is a massive thing… We're getting into things that really we shouldn't be getting into here at all.
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JR: I don't know. I'm quite happy to go down this route, to be honest, because it's what you do.
DS: The growth is happening, though—11% year on year, which is promising. And it's not this huge boom and it's not the whole market that's been transformed, but it is encouraging. It is moving in the right direction. I mean, we see the train, we want to be on it. We want to be part of the process and that change that actually literature in translation, translated fiction, works in translation, whatever you want to call it, because it's a broader spectrum of just literature in translation. It should have a bigger place in the market, in publishing. It shouldn't be as niche. It doesn't belong on a shelf on the sixth floor in a bookshop. It belongs front and centre because a good translation is seamless. It's not an academic work. I dip my toe into editorial, that's his world by and large, but as a reader, I don't want to read books that are not fun, that are just hard, that don't read well. And there's a lot of that out there. And so for us to be able to say, look, this is the type of translation we're doing. These are the works we're doing where it is actually approached holistically as a whole thing. The translator approaches it in this way because it's a beautiful book and it should read as a beautiful book. That's what we want to be doing. RV: Shall I keep going with this? JR: Yeah, of course. RV: I find the traditional relationship where translators pitch to publishers—especially small indies like us—utterly mystifying. For instance, we publish 10 books a year across several languages. |
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I might only have one Spanish or one Greek book, and that needs to be an absolutely splendid book that really, really fit for my list. Not only for its own merits but for how it fits into what I’m publishing in 2025 or 2026.
What I’ve learned—and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this—is how crucial the relationship between publishers and booksellers is. It’s so fundamental, and I want to grow that massively. When I approach booksellers, I can show them what my next year looks like, how the books connect, and the different voices we’re offering. It helps frame the year’s narrative for them, making it easier to say, "This book fits on the front table, this one’s a bit more niche, but it’s still worth making a table." That holistic view is so important, which is why it’s unlikely I’ll take on a project just because a translator thinks it’s good. I have a clear vision of what Foundry Editions’ narrative is for any given year, and I can’t disrupt that, even if the proposed work is excellent. That’s the reality for a small indie publisher with big ambitions—12 books a year in a few years, hopefully.
JR: It’s interesting that authors are increasingly told they need to submit to the right publisher, one whose list fits their work. But it seems like translators aren’t being brought into that conversation.
RV: That’s part of the problem. The problem is two-fold. Translators don’t own the rights to the works they pitch, so it’s difficult to have a meaningful conversation with them. They may love a book and want it published, but does it work for the publisher’s vision? When we started, especially with French, Spanish, and Italian, I would say, "Don’t send me a sample; send me the original text. If I’m interested, we’ll have a further conversation." I’ve always said I want to have a community with translators— but I want that to be an informal one. I want them to feel comfortable just sending me a quick message like, "Hey, Richard, I read this belting book; you should check it out." Rather than this formal pitching process, which often feels unnecessary. I think we need to tweak those parameters a bit.
JR: So, in the future, are you planning to change your submission process going forward?
DS: We’ve worked on some guidelines, but…
RV: He wouldn’t let me put them up!
DS: Yeah, we had them ready, but I said, "No, we can’t put that on the website."
RV: To be fair, it’s better not to have a submission section because we don’t get as many as you’d think we might.
JR: But it allows you to keep a clear direction on where you want to go.
RV: Exactly. We’re bombarded by agents and publishers from Lisbon to Athens—or Lisbon to Beirut, actually, I would say - and that’s amazing that we are. It’s incredible that we’re able to do what we do. In France, for instance, I keep up with the reviews and the scene. Admittedly, in Arabic, I need hand-holding, but we have really good Arabic hand-holders, and I’m actively seeking better connections for Greek and Turkish literature - my hands are not being held with Turkish at all. But we’re always looking for those key individuals who can guide us through the complexities of these markets.
For example, there’s an amazing organisation called 10/11 in Berlin. They are a collective of three Arabic translators who also act as agents. They’ve really taken it upon themselves to demystify the complex world of Arabic literature and rights. And they’re doing fantastic work in making the process more transparent and accessible. Their approach is a great example of how to navigate and simplify what is often a very mysterious and difficult process.
DS: It’s impressive how these translators have effectively become their own agents, understanding the business side of things and establishing relationships. It’s a testament to how things are evolving.
RV: Absolutely. It’s exciting to see people find their own path and make significant strides in the industry.
DS: but to answer your questions about submissions, we initially relied on blind letters, but over the past year, we’ve shifted to a more casual, dialogue-driven approach. We work regularly with agents and publishers, which has made it easier to curate the titles we consider. There’s a trust and flow of information that helps streamline the process.
What I’ve learned—and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this—is how crucial the relationship between publishers and booksellers is. It’s so fundamental, and I want to grow that massively. When I approach booksellers, I can show them what my next year looks like, how the books connect, and the different voices we’re offering. It helps frame the year’s narrative for them, making it easier to say, "This book fits on the front table, this one’s a bit more niche, but it’s still worth making a table." That holistic view is so important, which is why it’s unlikely I’ll take on a project just because a translator thinks it’s good. I have a clear vision of what Foundry Editions’ narrative is for any given year, and I can’t disrupt that, even if the proposed work is excellent. That’s the reality for a small indie publisher with big ambitions—12 books a year in a few years, hopefully.
JR: It’s interesting that authors are increasingly told they need to submit to the right publisher, one whose list fits their work. But it seems like translators aren’t being brought into that conversation.
RV: That’s part of the problem. The problem is two-fold. Translators don’t own the rights to the works they pitch, so it’s difficult to have a meaningful conversation with them. They may love a book and want it published, but does it work for the publisher’s vision? When we started, especially with French, Spanish, and Italian, I would say, "Don’t send me a sample; send me the original text. If I’m interested, we’ll have a further conversation." I’ve always said I want to have a community with translators— but I want that to be an informal one. I want them to feel comfortable just sending me a quick message like, "Hey, Richard, I read this belting book; you should check it out." Rather than this formal pitching process, which often feels unnecessary. I think we need to tweak those parameters a bit.
JR: So, in the future, are you planning to change your submission process going forward?
DS: We’ve worked on some guidelines, but…
RV: He wouldn’t let me put them up!
DS: Yeah, we had them ready, but I said, "No, we can’t put that on the website."
RV: To be fair, it’s better not to have a submission section because we don’t get as many as you’d think we might.
JR: But it allows you to keep a clear direction on where you want to go.
RV: Exactly. We’re bombarded by agents and publishers from Lisbon to Athens—or Lisbon to Beirut, actually, I would say - and that’s amazing that we are. It’s incredible that we’re able to do what we do. In France, for instance, I keep up with the reviews and the scene. Admittedly, in Arabic, I need hand-holding, but we have really good Arabic hand-holders, and I’m actively seeking better connections for Greek and Turkish literature - my hands are not being held with Turkish at all. But we’re always looking for those key individuals who can guide us through the complexities of these markets.
For example, there’s an amazing organisation called 10/11 in Berlin. They are a collective of three Arabic translators who also act as agents. They’ve really taken it upon themselves to demystify the complex world of Arabic literature and rights. And they’re doing fantastic work in making the process more transparent and accessible. Their approach is a great example of how to navigate and simplify what is often a very mysterious and difficult process.
DS: It’s impressive how these translators have effectively become their own agents, understanding the business side of things and establishing relationships. It’s a testament to how things are evolving.
RV: Absolutely. It’s exciting to see people find their own path and make significant strides in the industry.
DS: but to answer your questions about submissions, we initially relied on blind letters, but over the past year, we’ve shifted to a more casual, dialogue-driven approach. We work regularly with agents and publishers, which has made it easier to curate the titles we consider. There’s a trust and flow of information that helps streamline the process.
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RV: In some ways we have to be careful with this approach, though. For instance, I’ve had an Italian agent say to me that there’s no point in suggesting books to us because we only publish certain types of Italian works. It’s important to avoid narrowing down too much and to remain open to diverse submissions. We do have a fixed number of Italian books we publish each year, and we need to balance that with the broader range of works we consider.
JR: It’s great to hear how you’ve navigated these challenges, especially considering you're kind of the new kids on the block. It sounds like you’re making fantastic connections and establishing strong relationships. What about your connections with other publishers in the UK? Do you think being based in London has helped at all? RV: That’s a good question. I would say for one, there are several reasons. London has its advantages. We have a tonne of bookshops and cultural institutions here, we have all the embassies here. For example, tomorrow we’re meeting with the French cultural attaché to discuss potential collaborations. Being in London makes it easier to maintain these relationships in person, which I think is invaluable. |
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Also, having a limited geographical focus can be beneficial. We don’t need to spread ourselves thin; we can build and nurture a few key relationships deeply. The Italian Institute, the French Institute, the Cervantes Institute, and the Cypriot High Commission have all been incredibly supportive. As you know. It's like train tickets and everything. So, I think that is a huge, huge benefit, actually. That's the one thing about London.
DS: There’s a lot happening in London that makes it a hub for the industry. But the UK’s literary scene is spread out, and much of our engagement is eastward with Europe, which could be done from anywhere.
RV: Exactly. London offers great local opportunities, but our work spans a broader geographic area. We’re engaging with European publishers and institutions, which is crucial for our operations. We’ve had some fantastic sales in Edinburgh, and we’re constantly amazed by the incredible bookshops there. We also work with great shops like The Book Hive in Norwich and others across the UK. I recently visited Rebecca at Night Owl Books… like, “Bloody hell you're impressive!” You know, she's in this tiny, tiny little town in the middle of nowhere in East Lothian. Despite being in a small town, she’s built an impressive community with a reading list of 1,600 people. It’s a testament to the power of local bookshops and communities.
We’re acutely aware that our work needs to be national, and actually there are certain books, like one of our Italian books next year will definitely launch in Edinburgh rather than in London because its subject matter is really close to things that are happening in Scotland. About, you know, land ownership, de-population, that kind of thing. So we love that. In fact it would be really good to be in the middle of the country so that we could get everywhere because as I say, I think bookshops are really crucial. I keep banging on about bookshops!
JR: Bookshops are definitely a passion of mine and you've mentioned some great booksellers there. It’s great to hear about these amazing shops and their impact. What about other small presses? Are there any small presses that you're aware of that are doing particularly good work? Are there, not necessarily in the Inpress group, but any other small presses that are inspiring you right now?
RV: Absolutely. I’m a big fan of Daunt, although they’re slightly different in scale. They have a very clever editorial strategy and what they do they do brilliantly. Charco Press is another favourite. They focus on Latin American literature and do exceptional work. I haven’t met the team from Charco personally, but their work is impressive.
I think what Stefan does is remarkable. And I think, you know, it's really, really, really extraordinary. I think what's interesting is that there's room for everybody. And this is why, actually, it's so exciting to be part of it. Because, for instance, I could never really see a situation where Stefan and I had squabbled over a book. Because I think we have very different takes on what we want to do.
DS: It’s not a zero-sum game, and the competition can be quite friendly.
RV: Exactly. For example, Joe Harper at Gallic is launching a book next week that we were considering but couldn’t include because we started Foundry too late. Joe constantly mocks me and sends me copies. Okay, yeah, yeah, “Please find enclosed in award-winning French-speaking book about the Middle East”. Thank you, Joe! We also admire what Heloise is doing and Tilted Axis, even though their work is quite different from ours. I mean, you know, it's totally different from what we're doing. It's totally, totally, totally different.
DS: There’s a lot happening in London that makes it a hub for the industry. But the UK’s literary scene is spread out, and much of our engagement is eastward with Europe, which could be done from anywhere.
RV: Exactly. London offers great local opportunities, but our work spans a broader geographic area. We’re engaging with European publishers and institutions, which is crucial for our operations. We’ve had some fantastic sales in Edinburgh, and we’re constantly amazed by the incredible bookshops there. We also work with great shops like The Book Hive in Norwich and others across the UK. I recently visited Rebecca at Night Owl Books… like, “Bloody hell you're impressive!” You know, she's in this tiny, tiny little town in the middle of nowhere in East Lothian. Despite being in a small town, she’s built an impressive community with a reading list of 1,600 people. It’s a testament to the power of local bookshops and communities.
We’re acutely aware that our work needs to be national, and actually there are certain books, like one of our Italian books next year will definitely launch in Edinburgh rather than in London because its subject matter is really close to things that are happening in Scotland. About, you know, land ownership, de-population, that kind of thing. So we love that. In fact it would be really good to be in the middle of the country so that we could get everywhere because as I say, I think bookshops are really crucial. I keep banging on about bookshops!
JR: Bookshops are definitely a passion of mine and you've mentioned some great booksellers there. It’s great to hear about these amazing shops and their impact. What about other small presses? Are there any small presses that you're aware of that are doing particularly good work? Are there, not necessarily in the Inpress group, but any other small presses that are inspiring you right now?
RV: Absolutely. I’m a big fan of Daunt, although they’re slightly different in scale. They have a very clever editorial strategy and what they do they do brilliantly. Charco Press is another favourite. They focus on Latin American literature and do exceptional work. I haven’t met the team from Charco personally, but their work is impressive.
I think what Stefan does is remarkable. And I think, you know, it's really, really, really extraordinary. I think what's interesting is that there's room for everybody. And this is why, actually, it's so exciting to be part of it. Because, for instance, I could never really see a situation where Stefan and I had squabbled over a book. Because I think we have very different takes on what we want to do.
DS: It’s not a zero-sum game, and the competition can be quite friendly.
RV: Exactly. For example, Joe Harper at Gallic is launching a book next week that we were considering but couldn’t include because we started Foundry too late. Joe constantly mocks me and sends me copies. Okay, yeah, yeah, “Please find enclosed in award-winning French-speaking book about the Middle East”. Thank you, Joe! We also admire what Heloise is doing and Tilted Axis, even though their work is quite different from ours. I mean, you know, it's totally different from what we're doing. It's totally, totally, totally different.
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There’s space for different kinds of presses, whether they have overt political messages or not. It’s all about finding our unique place within this diverse landscape.
JR: Yeah, the variety in small presses is what makes the industry so interesting. It’s impressive how some presses, like And Other Stories, still feel like they're giving each book enough time and enough space. It is impressive. So, is it five books this year altogether? DS: We’ve released three books so far this year, with a fourth coming out on September 24th. That will be our first season. JR: Sorry, yes. So, looking ahead a little, can you tell us a bit about anything you're working on for next year? DS: Certainly! In the first book, we have a really troublesome translator who's worked on our first title for January next year. It's called Spanish Beauty, and it's by a Spanish author called Esta Garcia-Llovet. And it's got a really, really troublesome translator called Richard Village. And so, yeah, working with him has been a nightmare. But the book is fantastic! RV: It's brilliant. It's really short. It's a total belter. It's about a corrupt lady cop in Benidorm who is on the search for Reggie Kray's gold Dunhill cigarette lighter in this unbelievably shady world of really cheap English gangsters who kind of came over when there wasn't an extradition treaty and the new Russian mafia were moving in and it's just wonderful. So that's number one. |
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DS: Next, we have The Palace on the Two Hills, which we’re really excited about. It’s by Karim Kattan, a young Palestinian author who lives in Paris.
RV: It’s a novel that I call the gay Palestinian mashup of Brideshead Revisited and One Hundred Years of Solitude—a unique take on Palestinian writing. It’s a fascinating book. It’s a Palestinian story set in a palace rather than a refugee camp. The protagonist returns to his family home, which has been abandoned since the Second Intifada, only to find it being encroached upon by settlers. As he reconnects with his family’s history, the novel unfolds in unexpected and riveting ways. And it's absolutely riveting. And it's not what you expect.
DS: It's not what you expect.
RV: And what is absolutely brilliant, can I just say? One thing that was absolutely hilarious is that Karim Kattan's family, who are a big Palestinian trading family from Jerusalem, his grandfather or great-grandfather used to work with [David’s] great-grandfather in Bombay, and he found all this correspondence between them in the 30s. It's amazing. It's this amazing coincidence.
JR: You didn’t know about this connection beforehand?
DS: No, it was a revelation when Karim came to London and shared his family’s records. They had business dealings with the Sassoon Company, which was involved in the textile trade in Palestine. It’s a fascinating piece of shared history.
RV: It is remarkable.
JR: So is that one coming out in April? Is that right?
RV: April, yes. Then May, we have Killing the Nerve, a Catalan autofiction piece. It’s by Anna Pazos, she did her Erasmus thing, she wonders about the Mediterranean, she realises that home is Barcelona. She writes amazingly. she writes with incredible, incredible kind of forensic clarity, and she's really, really brilliant.
The fourth book, we don't know what it's called yet, but it’s an Italian novel by Chiara Valerio, who’s a significant Italian author and translator of Virginia Woolf. Look her up, she's amazing. The novel imagines what might have happened if Clarissa Dalloway had made the other decision. And if she decided to leave Peter at the party. And it's like, this is the story of an upper-middle-class Roman woman who does just that. And it's fantastic.
JR: That all sounds incredible. I can’t wait to see them come out next year!
Richard, David, thank you so much for your time today.
RV: Thank you!
DS: Thanks a lot.
RV: It’s a novel that I call the gay Palestinian mashup of Brideshead Revisited and One Hundred Years of Solitude—a unique take on Palestinian writing. It’s a fascinating book. It’s a Palestinian story set in a palace rather than a refugee camp. The protagonist returns to his family home, which has been abandoned since the Second Intifada, only to find it being encroached upon by settlers. As he reconnects with his family’s history, the novel unfolds in unexpected and riveting ways. And it's absolutely riveting. And it's not what you expect.
DS: It's not what you expect.
RV: And what is absolutely brilliant, can I just say? One thing that was absolutely hilarious is that Karim Kattan's family, who are a big Palestinian trading family from Jerusalem, his grandfather or great-grandfather used to work with [David’s] great-grandfather in Bombay, and he found all this correspondence between them in the 30s. It's amazing. It's this amazing coincidence.
JR: You didn’t know about this connection beforehand?
DS: No, it was a revelation when Karim came to London and shared his family’s records. They had business dealings with the Sassoon Company, which was involved in the textile trade in Palestine. It’s a fascinating piece of shared history.
RV: It is remarkable.
JR: So is that one coming out in April? Is that right?
RV: April, yes. Then May, we have Killing the Nerve, a Catalan autofiction piece. It’s by Anna Pazos, she did her Erasmus thing, she wonders about the Mediterranean, she realises that home is Barcelona. She writes amazingly. she writes with incredible, incredible kind of forensic clarity, and she's really, really brilliant.
The fourth book, we don't know what it's called yet, but it’s an Italian novel by Chiara Valerio, who’s a significant Italian author and translator of Virginia Woolf. Look her up, she's amazing. The novel imagines what might have happened if Clarissa Dalloway had made the other decision. And if she decided to leave Peter at the party. And it's like, this is the story of an upper-middle-class Roman woman who does just that. And it's fantastic.
JR: That all sounds incredible. I can’t wait to see them come out next year!
Richard, David, thank you so much for your time today.
RV: Thank you!
DS: Thanks a lot.
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Take a look at all that Richard and David are up to, plus all the exciting new releases they have planned for next year and beyond on their website here.
PLUS check out our upcoming author event and inaugural Opt Indie Book Club launch with Foundry Editions' very own BRANDY SOUR here! |
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