IN 2020 I was invited to join the jury for the Austrian Cultural Forum Translation Prize and in 2022 I co-judged the Goethe-Institut Award for New Translation along with Ruth Amedzai Kemp. The text for this was an especially challenging excerpt from Ulrike Draesner’s novel about Kurt Schwitters – one of my collage idols!

For many years I was a regular visitor to the Europäisches Übersetzer-Kollegium, Straelen, a translators’ retreat, seminar house and hub in a small German town near the Dutch border, several times awarded a grant to stay there. In 2014 I was honoured to be invited there as Translator in Residence. This three-month post, changing each quarter, involves giving practical assistance to the staff, taking pastoral care of other guests as well as a public role as the current public face of the house, giving talks, working with schools and talking to local media. It comes with a suitable grant, and any remaining time is yours to work on your current book.

For years I have assisted in the selection process for New Books in German, part of a team assessing German literature to be recommended for translation and receive funding. I have also written articles and reviews for the publication.

I am an active member of two groups within the Society of Authors: the Translators Association and the Poetry and Spoken Word Group.