Scottish Writers’ Centre: International Event: Pedro Lenz and Donal McLaughlin

The Scottish Writers' Centre's renowned international events programme returns with award-winning Swiss writer Pedro Lenz and Donal McLaughlin. Pedro, famous for work written in dialect and for his live performances, had a six-month residency in Glasgow in 2005 as part of the (then) Glasgow-Berne Literary Exchange, and has since written his first novel, Der Goalie bin ig, which Donal McLaughlin has translated to Naw Much of a Talker for Freight Books. This is a translation with a difference: a novel written in a Swiss dialect translated into the vernacular of Glasgow. As ever, this promises to be a night of fascinating insights into the cultural differences encoded in language, and a chance to appreciate more great writing in translation.

Over the past decade, Pedro and his writer colleagues in the group Bern ist ueberall (Berne is everywhere) have transformed the perception of dialect literature in Switzerland. Pedro is the author of many books that reflect his involvement in the Swiss spoken word scene. These include a volume of poems, a hilarious spoof Guide to Provincial Literature in Switzerland and his first novel, Der Goalie bin ig, which Freight Books will publish this summer as Naw Much of a Talker.

Donal McLaughlin is a founding member of the Scottish Writers’ Centre and responsible for International Liaison. His first short story collection – an allergic reaction to national anthems & other stories (2009) - was long-listed for the Frank O’Connor Short Story Award, and nominated for the EIBF Readers’ Best First Book Award. Donal featured in Best European Fiction 2012 (Dalkey Archive) both as a writer and a translator. His second collection of stories is forthcoming in 2014 (also Dalkey Archive). His translation work includes over one hundred writers for the New Swiss Writing anthologies (2008-2011).