Finland
Japanese (no interpretation)
Translating Mika Waltari's The Egyptian
Mika Waltari's The Egyptian (Sinuhe egyptiläinen, 1945) is one of the best-known and best-loved of all Finnish novels, and has been translated into 41 languages. Takako Servo is currently translating the novel into Japanese for the first time directly from Finnish and in its entirety, to be published by Mizuiro Books in 2023. In this session she will discuss how she came to take up this project, the ins and outs of the ongoing translation process, and the challenges she faces due to the differences between the Finnish and Japanese languages.
Read the works related to this programme online
Takako Servo
Takako Servo (b.1972) is a Finnish-Japanese translator and interpreter. She has been living in Pori, Finland with her family since 2001. She has translated four books, including Coffee Revolution (Kahvivallankumous) and Tove Jansson: Work and Love (Tove Jansson - Tee työtä ja rakasta). Her fifth translation, The Egyptian (Sinuhe egyptiläinen) by Mika Waltari is underway. This will be the first complete translation from the original novel. It was first recommended to Takako by her husband. She is a chocolate and coffee enthusiast.