Jordan Barger

Assembly of Literary Translators 2026:
A 1-day event for literary translators, ahead of LBF 2026.
Talks, workshops and conversations on visibility, public presence and professional identity. Monday 9 March. Central London. Tickets & full details: the-assembly-of-literary-translators.eventbrite.co.uk

Feeling like the world's luckiest translator to be working with Ia again, and to be read so generously by the judges, who really get the book: "Breathtakingly original, profound but with a delicious dose of irreverence" thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-l...

Out in UK in mid-March, US this summer!

Uh, I’ll try 😁. I walked up to Hauge’s house the other day, but I suppose this was more impressive back when it wasn’t snowy.

Hi everybody! Reporting from Hauge’s Ulvik :)

I love the last three lines of the poem Everyday from 1966's Drops in the East Wind (trans. Robin Fulton)

This makes them seem reeeally excited about the clipppings

She Has That Kind of Stature: Two Translators Talk Pirkko Saisio’s "The Helsinki Trilogy" - Cleveland Review of Books You absolutely cannot do Finnish word for word. It would be garbage.

"But of course, I should say about Pirkko Saisio: people call her a living legend."

Jordan Barger interviews Mia Spangenberg, translator from the Finnish of Pirkko Saisio's "Helsinki Trilogy." @twolinespress.com
clereviewofbooks.com/mia-spangenb...

Check out my interview with the translator of these fine books on @clereviewbooks.bsky.social

clereviewofbooks.com/mia-spangenb...

YouTube video by Mario Silvestri III Bloc Party - Tulips (Club Version) (Minotaur Shock Remix)

This one is absolutely my fav Bloc Party song

also Long Fin Killie is a really nice proto Bloc Party band. Their album Houdini is 10/10

youtu.be/2tEiuXvm7a4?...

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love God - Gulf Coast Literary Journal I converted to Catholicism earlier this year, though I dislike calling myself a Catholic convert. The phrase suggests conservative politicians like J.D. Vance, who wield Catholicism to achieve harsh ...

I have an essay out in Gulf Coast abt God & becoming an adult Catholic convert gulfcoastmag.org/stories/how-...

Thanks for reminding me this website exists 😅

Hello Bluesky! I’ve been quite busy translating in Norway this year. I’ll slowly post some of my recent activity. For now, here’s my Translation desk :)

Rest Home —Djamel Bouchenaki (tr. Jordan Barger) June 25th, 2025 Today, Granddad goes to the sea. Mom says he needs peace and quiet, that he needs time to recover, so we’re taking him to a rest home west of Algiers. There, so close to the Mediter…

"Ah, I think I see him in the closet. Yeah, there he is. His hiding place was actually really good this time, only thing that gave him away was cracking the door to breathe."
(original French linked below)
Rest Home —Djamel Bouchenaki (tr. @norsk.bsky.social)
minorliteratures.com/2026/02/12/r...

Backlight is out and the trilogy is all together! Wooo! Thanks to @catranslation.bsky.social for putting out these masterpieces.

HE TOOK A SMOKE IN HIS MOUTH GIVE ME ONE UNCLE I SAID WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT YOU ARE STILL A LITTLE BOY I ALSO LEARNED THAT IN DENMARK UNCLE HE KISSED ME ON THE CHEEK AND THE SUN KISSED HIM I DROVE AROUND IN CIRCLES AND BLEW OUT SMOKE

An uncle giraffe & a smaller giraffe, in front of the very sun that kissed the uncle in Yahya Hassan’s poem.

mountain poem 2/31: “Holiday 1” by Yahya Hassan, translated by @norsk.bsky.social. Yahya Hassan was a marvelous poet I’m excited for more people to read!

full text of this and a couple other YH poems: actionbooks.org/2021/06/thre...

& the interview with YH quoted in ALFTM: youtu.be/1HE6ZsH8ldU?...

Working with the @khoreo.bsky.social team on the production of the audio version of my translation from issue 5.1 (out as a pod soon) has been a dream experience. Talented, refreshingly diverse roster of voice actors, unparalleled attention to detail. Vote for them if you can🖤📚

The Anchorite Anthony and the pig ate from the same barrel The first year he thought: Don't my holy toes look like a sow suckling four piglets? The second year he thought: I used to be a pinecone on the branch: green, heavy and closed off. Now I am a pinecone on the forest floor: brown, light and opened up. Thinking about death had held him up for many years One day he thought: the smell of turpentine is a lot like the smell of turpentine.

Svein Jarvoll, translated by Jordan Barger @norsk.bsky.social

The British Centre for Literary Translation is now part of Bluesky 🎉 We're looking forward to connecting with new and old followers. Help us spread the word and stay tuned for updates! #BCLT #Bluesky #literarytranslation

Follow @circumferencemag.bsky.social for the best in poetry in translation!

Bloody thrilled to share my translation of Evgenia Nekrasova’s horned tale on the perils of patriarchy. Deep gratitude to @theoffingmag.bsky.social for giving this banger a home🖤🩸

Sorry Hai Rui Bhagwan :(

RIP Dag Solstad

YouTube video by Sparklehorse (Official) Sparklehorse – It's A Wonderful Life (Official Video)

15 years he's been gone now. Still think about his music most days...

youtu.be/meDCjtfDk4c?...

No way! Cool! I’ll check it out :)

My range

Advice from two of my favorite writers (Hesselholdt + Lutz) for everyone to stop being so specific and stringent

Think about this essay all the time. She has been translated into German since, don’t know anyone who’s read it though. Nor do I know if there are other translations

Your work is awesome! Love these lil guys

Suuuper excited for this

Ok touché this is a lot of words at once
ambrosiaurealised, hvad?