The purpose of the Nordic Division blog is to serve as a means of communication among its members, provide information and service to its members in specific fields of interest related to translation and/or interpretation into or from the languages and dialects spoken in the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden (including, but not necessarily limited to Danish, Estonian, Faeroese, Finnish, Greenlandic, Icelandic, Norwegian, Sami, and Swedish), to further cooperation and information exchanges among members, and promote the policies and objectives of the American Translators Association.

There are already several useful posts, including updates on the division agenda at the 2009 Annual Conference in October.

Thank you Division volunteers for making this blog possible.

Imagine being challenged to turn tired literal translations into sparkling prose, or to transform a choppy text into a piece that flows. Imagine sharing fascinating conversations with other translators and hearing terrific tips for achieving and maintaining the level of quality that top clients are looking for.

While we spent a lot of time on business and government prose (which can in fact sparkle — who knew?), we also got to learn more about the challenges of literary translation. I spent a wonderful evening hearing Ros Schwartz share her experiences translating mysteries and other types of literature.

I made some new friends and came back with lots of new ideas, an enormous bagful of translation books from InTrans Book Service, and a firm resolve to be the best writer and translator I can be.