Alžběta Štollová

My name is Alžběta Štollová. I’m a translator of Finnish fiction. I have long been deeply interested in children’s books and plays and that is what I will spend my time on at Saari too. Away from the responsibilities of my everyday life, I will focus on translating a children’s novel and reading it intensively, with the aim of making new discoveries and enriching the cultural offerings available in the Czech Republic. I’m currently working on book three of the Agnes Trilogy, Agnes ja varjo ikkunassa (WSOY, 2022), written by Tuutikki Tolonen and illustrated by Kati Vuorento. Initially, I had planned to translate a non-fiction book for children by Salla Savolainen called Betonia!, but the Czech publisher has not yet bought the rights to the book. That is why I will translate something else at the Saari Residence.

Translating children’s literature is a slow process for me that requires attention to detail in both languages, a deep and diverse understanding of the emotions of a first-time reader and the ability to empathise with their feelings. Texts aimed at young children in particular must be approached as artfully crafted poetry, encapsulating an experience of the world that is both clear and new. They must also be texts that can be read aloud again and again. I hope that two months away from my everyday life in my home country will allow me to see more clearly than ever what kinds of children’s books would appeal to children in the Czech Republic and inspire them to read. I will go through both recently published picture books and classics that are already well established and loved in Finland, but for one reason or another have not yet been translated.

After graduating from the University of Helsinki with a Master’s degree in Finnish language and culture, I have translated more than 20 books into Czech. My list of translated books includes, for example, Timo Parvela’s humorous stories about Ella and her classmates (Ella ja kaverit 1, Ella ja kaverit 2, Ella Lapissa, Ella ja Paterock), Tuutikki Tolonen’s monster trilogy (Mörkövahti, Mörköreitti, Mörköviesti) and numerous Finnish picture books, including both classics and books by contemporary authors (Herra kuningas, Varjostajat, Kettu ja värit, Asfalttia! and Prinsessa, joka lähti kälppimään, etc.). In addition to children’s prose, I also follow contemporary Finnish drama and try to bring it to stages all over the Czech Republic. I have translated plays written by, for example, Saara Turunen, Pipsa Lonka and E. L. Karhu. In 2013, I had the honour of receiving a major Czech award for my translation of Sirkku Peltola’s play Suomen hevonen. I work part-time as a librarian at the Prague City Library and as an editor (e.g. 160-page literary and cultural magazine Särö 35–36/2018, the most comprehensive magazine in Finland on Czech art and culture).