September 30 is the UN's International Translation Day
Adopted by the General Assembly in May of 2017, "International Translation Day is meant as an opportunity to pay tribute to the work of language professionals, which plays an important role in bringing nations together, facilitating dialogue, understanding and cooperation, contributing to development and strengthening world peace and security."
Here at Tuttle, we are lucky to have many books that started their lives in a different language.
As you might expect, many of our translations come from books originally published in Japanese or other Asian languages, particularly craft titles.
However, we also have books that come from lots of other languages. Did you know Japanese Cooking with Manga started out as the Spanish "Gourmand Gohan," a hand-drawn and hand-bound edition?
And Onibi was originally published in French.
(Fun fact: In France, and other European countries, many spines run from bottom-to-top, as seen below.)
The United Nations believes it's important to dedicate a day to translation because it, "...is indispensable to preserving clarity, a positive climate and productiveness in international public discourse and interpersonal communication." This aligns with our founder, Charles Tuttle's, core mission—to publish fine books to span the East and West and provide a greater understanding of each. A goal that we continue to strive for 70 years later!
You can learn more about this day, including why it falls on September 30, on the UN's website.
