Kelsi Vanada

ALTA A L T A

If you're going to be at the upcoming ALTA48 conference from November 5-8 in Tucson, consider coming to the BIPOC Literary Translators Caucus Reading Series at 8:30pm on November 6 in The Royal Room! The reading is free and open to all.

Interested in reading? Sign up from here!

💖💖💖

Reading tour continues—with a virtual reading this Thurs for Veliz Books’ 10th anniversary!

Reading from my book Optional Saint in a few places! Hope to see you!

Leaderboard Brenda told me finding your voice is bullshit. She said God didn't put you on earth to be consistent,

Today’s Featured Poem:

“Leaderboard” by @kelsivanada.bsky.social from Optional Saint published by BENCH Editions.

Read here:
poems.com/poem/leaderb...

Deadline extended to June 9! Tell your theater translator friends!!

We're excited to shout out Trace Press, sponsor of our upcoming event Write The World (happening online on May 27)!

Check out their title ARABIC, BETWEEN LOVE AND WAR edited by Yasmine Haj & Norah Alkharashi. (Order directly thru the site, as US distribution is paused due to tariffs): rb.gy/mqm8kp

Happy pub day to Optional Saint, my first book of poems! I can’t wait to share it with you. Endless gratitude to the wonderful Bench Editions 🙏🏼 Order at www.bencheditions.com/optional-saint

Book cover featuring black and white photograph of a bush on fire center, a shed on the right, and a ghostly figure on the far left with a forest background at title on mint green background

How much it means to be able to say that my first collection of poetry, "You're Called By The Same Sound," will be published in August by @thirdhandbooks.bsky.social. It's been a long road to this future, and I wouldn't have any other way—I believe in the work of small presses, now and forever.

2025 Spring Multilingual Translation Workshops Multilingual Translation Workshops pair 6 literary translators with an established translator leader for a 105-minute workshop via Zoom.

Poetry translators, don't miss your chance! There are just 5 slots left for our Spring Multilingual Translation Workshops, your chance to get individualized feedback on a translation.

Check them out here and register before they're all gone!

We've teamed up w/ Vermont Studio Center to offer 2 fully funded 2-week residencies in 2026 to ALTA members!

1: For a BIPOC translator who identifies as queer, woman, non-binary and/or LGBTQ+
2: For a mid-career translator (3+ full-length translations)

Apply by 3/31: https://buff.ly/3D8kRh4

P.S. @daybreakjung.bsky.social says "Each page hums with questions of devotion and doubt" and @kellyrosehoffer.bsky.social called the book "a portrait of my brain lit up as I am just about to sneeze," if you need any more encouragement to check it out ;)

Optional Saint, my first book of poems, is available for pre-order from Bench Editions! Thank you to everyone who has asked about it ❤️ www.bencheditions.com/optional-saint

“I highlight this list that thematically supports everything Evil Orange & his cronies oppose.” 💪🏼 thanks for including United Left!! @eulaliabooks.bsky.social

🎉 ALTA is very excited to announce the recipients of the 2025 ALTA Emerging Translator Mentorship Program!

There are 19 mentees in 2025. Learn more about them here, and join us in celebrating these promising emerging translators! https://buff.ly/3QbC2Bg

Connie 💔

Congrats to all three of you!

Congrats to the 2025 NEA Translation fellows! www.arts.gov/impact/liter...