Gabrielle Roy was one of the most prominent Canadian authors of the twentieth century. Joyce Marshall, an excellent writer herself, was one of Roy's English translators. The two shared a deep and long-lasting friendship based on a shared interest in language and writing. In Translation offers a critical examination of the more than two hundred letters exchanged by Roy and Marshall between 1959 and 1980.


In their letters, Roy and Marshall exchange news about their general health and well-being, their friends and family, their surroundings, their travels, and other writers, as well as their dealings with critics, editors, and publishers. They recount comical incidents and strange encounters in their lives, and reflect on human nature, current events, and, from time to time, their writing. Of particular interest to the two women were the problems they encountered during the translation process. Many passages in the letters concern the ways in which the nuances of language can be shaped through translation.


Editor Jane Everett has arranged the letters here in chronological order and has added critical notes to fill in the historical and literary gaps, as well as to identify various editorial problems. Shedding light on the process of writing and translating, In Translation is an invaluable addition to the study of Canadian writing and to the literature on these two important figures.