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Sarah Gear

@sarahgear.bsky.social

PhD about Russian literary translation and politics from the University of Exeter. Assistant Interview Editor at Asymptote. Teaching at the University of St Andrews.

353 Followers  |  505 Following  |  10 Posts  |  Joined: 20.10.2024  |  1.6708

Latest posts by sarahgear.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Translating Mothersland Shahzoda Samarqandi, Shelley Fairweather-Vega, and the Politics of Language Dr Sarah Gear, School of Modern Language 6.00pm - Pay What You Can ยฃ6.00 / ยฃ4.00 Novelist Shahzoda Samarqandi and translat...

Come and join me for a chat with author Shahzoda Samarqandi about her wonderful novel Mothersland! Her translator Shelley Fairweather-Vega will be there too for a discussion of language, politics, and Central Asian literature. 23rd Sept, Byre Theatre, St Andrews
byretheatre.com/shows/transl...

05.09.2025 11:23 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

So lovely to chat with you!

24.07.2025 17:18 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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An Interview with Boris Dralyuk - Asymptote Corresponding with Boris Dralyuk is always a pleasure. He is one of those people whose thoughtfulness and genuine interest just make the world feel like a better place. Having read most of his transla...

And a lovely interview with the wonderful @bdralyuk.bsky.social www.asymptotejournal.com/interview/an...

24.07.2025 13:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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Summer 2025 Featuring Alda Merini, Bassam Yousuf, Carolina Brown, MARGENTO and Daniel Saldaรฑa Parรญs in our AI-themed Feature

New edition of Asymptote out today! www.asymptotejournal.com

24.07.2025 13:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Reading โ€œThe Eyes of Gazaโ€ from wartime Ukraine โ€” APOFENIE Reviewed by Kate Tsurkan Reading โ€œThe Eyes of Gazaโ€ from Ukraine, I was reminded of how no war occurs in a vacuum โ€” the fight for survival, freedom, and justice is never isolated, but part of a larg...

We're bringing back Apofenie Magazine. Among other things, expect book reviews from me there that aren't related to Ukraine and the surrounding region. For our triumphant return, I reviewed Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad's wartime memoir "The Eyes of Gaza."

www.apofenie.com/the-latest-c...

10.07.2025 17:47 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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An Interview with Anton Hur - Asymptote Anton Hur is a genuine literary force. As one of the most prolific translators of Korean literature, and an author, too, since the publication of Towards Eternity (HarperVia) in 2024, he has...

I have been absent for a while - coming back to post this very fun interview with the wonderful @antonhur.com! www.asymptotejournal.com/interview/an...

01.07.2025 18:31 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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โ€˜A changing of the epochsโ€™

Sarah Gear: Recording a complex tapestry of life

23.06.2025 07:02 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Inventing a history

'In Russia, fact and record shift like quicksand.'

Bryan Karetnyk: How Stalin shaped the Soviet collective memory

30.06.2025 18:26 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Translating Macedonian Literature and Lidija Dimkovskaโ€™sย Personal Identification Number: An Interview with Christina Kramer - Asymptote Blog No matter how much I read, no matter how well I know the language, that language is constantly changing, and authors are creative.

An interview with with wonderful Christina Kramer about translating Macedonian literature on the Asymptote blog today! Thank you Christina! www.asymptotejournal.com/blog/2025/03...

05.03.2025 17:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
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Life in Spite of Everything: Tales from the Ukrainian East A PIMs book discussion with Victoria Donovan, Uilleam Blacker and Volodymyr Kulikov

With eastern Ukraine again at the centre of world events, it's never been more important to listen to those who come from there. This is what Victoria Donovan does in her new book. Join our discussion @uclssees.bsky.social next Friday! @dauntbookspub.bsky.social www.ucl.ac.uk/ssees/events...

05.03.2025 14:19 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 18    ๐Ÿ” 10    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Very excited to announce this new podcast!

03.03.2025 10:34 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 14    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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Narrating a Violent Childhood: A Q&A with Fiona Bell and Margarita Vaysman about Avdotya Panaevaโ€™s The Talnikov Family Avdotya Panaeva was born in 1820 and first began publishing her work in one of Russiaโ€™s premier literary magazines, Sovremennik, in 1846. The author of numerous short stories, novels, memoirs, as wโ€ฆ

Huge thank you to @olgaz.bsky.social for this Q&A about Avdot'ia Panaeva and to Margarita Vaysman and Fiona Bell for the marvelous discussion.

"Hers is a rare female voice in the predominantly male chorus of other big nineteenth-century Russian writers."

puncturedlines.com/2025/02/28/n...

02.03.2025 00:54 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 14    ๐Ÿ” 7    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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2025 Books by Post-Soviet Authors 2025 is going to be a big year for books written by immigrant authors hailing from the Soviet Union who now call North America home. Since 2021, Iโ€™ve kept a running list of books coming out from ouโ€ฆ

This list of 2025 Books by Post-Soviet Authors has been updated with two new titles (Julie Masis and Olga Stein). Thank you @sashavasilyuk.bsky.social for putting this list together and staying on top of it! So exciting to see all of these books in one place.

puncturedlines.com/2025/02/11/2...

20.02.2025 23:29 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Event poster for 'Life in Spite of Everything: Tales from the Ukrainian East' with a photo of the book cover.

Event poster for 'Life in Spite of Everything: Tales from the Ukrainian East' with a photo of the book cover.

Please join us for a conversation with Prof Victoria Donovan on her latest book 'Life in Spite of Everything. Tales from the Ukrainian East', which explores the lived experiences of communities in Ukraineโ€™s #Donbas region.

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ 14 March at 5.30pm
๐Ÿ“ UCL SSEES
โžก๏ธ buff.ly/41bybJE

20.02.2025 15:39 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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Announcing the Translation Prizes 2024 shortlists - The Society of Authors There are 41 shortlisted works across eight prizes

See the full shortlists here: authr.uk/TP24
Shop the shortlists - uk.bookshop.org/lists/transl...

#TranslationPrizes

06.12.2024 11:15 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 14    ๐Ÿ” 10    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Very excited that I'll be presenting on Russian literature, translation and soft power at the EST 2025 Congress in Leeds this summer! #EST2025

04.12.2024 09:55 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Vision, Capacity, and Patience: Interview with Shelley Fairweather-Vega, Part II - Asymptote Blog Kazakhstani [authors] are . . . trying to decide what story to tell the world about themselves.

I was also able to chat to Shelley Fairweather-Vega about her work as a translator - out today on the Asymptote blog www.asymptotejournal.com/blog/2024/11...

14.11.2024 17:26 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Mothersland โ€“ Shahzoda Samarqandi Mahtab has translated herself into her mother, and she has translated the past to make it her own.

Time for my first post here :) I was lucky enough to review Mothersland by Shahzoda Samarqandi, translated by the wonderful Shelley Fairweather-Vega. www.full-stop.net/2024/10/14/r...

13.11.2024 19:44 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Thank you!! This is super helpful :)

22.10.2024 09:22 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

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