Ann Goldstein: Translating the Voice of Italian Women Writers

Ann Goldstein, editor and well-known literary translator, was born in New Jersey in 1949. Her love for Italian began while working as a copy editor at The New Yorker. From there, she embarked on her translation career in the 1990s. N+1 editor-in-chief Dayna Tortorici moderated a conversation with Goldstein where they explored the difficulties of translation. This event took place at The 92NY Center for Culture and Arts on February 19, 2025. Joanna Biggs and National Book Award winner Judith Thurman were also amongst the panel. Authors such as Alba de Céspedes and Elena Ferrante are some of Goldstein’s more prominent translations. They share common themes exploring female struggles.

When translating Ferrante, Goldstein aimed to maintain the intensity and truth behind the author’s writing. There’s No Turning Back (1938) sold out fast. However, it faced censorship due to the challenges it imposed on Mussolini’s ideals of traditional womanhood, which he perceived as a threat. In 1940, the publisher cleverly worked around the restriction and continued to print copies without changing the edition number.

Through her writing, de Céspedes exposed the truth about the difficult realities women face. In 2023, Goldstein translated the English publication of Forbidden Notebook. Before this, de Céspedes’s work was not well known in the United States. Goldstein’s efforts have helped get the voices of Italian women writers heard and capture the truth behind their words.

Sources:

Ann Goldstein and the Art of Translating Ferrante and de Céspedes

– Georgia Guerrero