Barbara Wright (translator)

Biography

Wright was born on 13 October 1915 in Worthing, West Sussex. After attending Godolphin School in Salisbury, she studied to be a pianist at the Royal College of Music in London and trained with Alfred Cortot in Paris. Wright taught at Dora Russell's Beacon Hill School from 1936 to 1937. In 1938 she married Walter Hubbard – the couple had a daughter in 1944, before separating in 1957. Though she never formally studied as a translator, Wright believed that her work as an accompanist helped her capture the rhythm of text. Her first major translation was Alfred Jarry's Ubu Roi, released in 1951 by Gaberbocchus Press.

Wright specialised in the translation of poetic prose and drama with a focus on French surrealist and existential writing. While working on a translation, she immersed herself in the world of the author. Reading other texts by the writer, conferring with Francophones about French idioms and, where possible, forging relationships with the authors were all aspects of her process. Over the course of her career Wright worked closely with, and befriended, Raymond Queneau, Robert Pinget and Nathalie Sarraute. In addition to her translations, Wright authored literary criticism and was a regular contributor to the Times Literary Supplement as a reviewer.

After completing translations of two short stories by Queneau, the author proposed that Wright translate his Exercices de style. The work had been deemed 'untranslatable' due to Queneau's reliance on unique French writing styles and language. Trusting her skill, Queneau encouraged and endorsed Wright's improvised English equivalents of French turns of phrase. The result was a resounding success with her text becoming the basis for translations of the work in other languages. In 2008 it was recognised as one of the best translations during a 50-year period by the Society of Authors.

In 1953 Wright was made a member of the College of Pataphysics, as Régente de Zozologie Shakespearienne. She was elevated to Satrape in 2001, a position she held alongside Umberto Eco and Jean Baudrillard. In 1986 Wright was made a Commandeur in L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. She was also a two time recipient of the Scott Moncrieff Prize. Wright was recognised in 1987 for her translation of Pierre Albert-Birot's Grabinoulor and again in 1992 for Michel Tournier's The Midnight Love Feast.

Wright died on 3 March 2009. Her literary translation papers are held by the Lilly Library at Indiana University. The authors she translated who are represented in the collection include Jean Hamburger, Eugène Ionesco, Alfred Jarry, Pierre Lauer, Robert Pinget, Raymond Queneau, Nathalie Sarraute and Stefan Themerson. Correspondence from publishers of Wright's works, including Gaberbocchus Press, John Calder, Doubleday, Faber & Faber, New Directions, the Atlas Press and Red Dust, are also present.

Translations

from Renouard & Kelly below.

Also various plays, libretti (three by Mozart), artists' manifestos, composers' programme notes, introductions, forewords and postscripts.