Charkrienorrathip Sevikul, Minister Counsellor & Deputy Head of Mission at Royal Thai Embassy, Ankara, who accomplished the Thai translation of the famous author Ayşe Kulin’s book ‘The Last Train to Istanbul’, described both his writing and translation journey and Ankara where he spent his childhood.
By Gökhan Başara
We know that you are a good reader and writer. Is this your first try in terms of translation?
Thank you very much. I grew up in a family of writers and readers, as my late father was a diplomat and writer, and my mother is a non-fiction writer, so books have always been very important in my life. When I was in high school, one of my most favorite places to be was the school library. From being a reader, I developed into a writer or at least a person who likes to write and has a number of collections of short stories and fiction published in Thailand.
Regarding translation, I had been translating many books, mostly non-fiction, and most notably Prof. Dr. Norman Stone’s “Turkey: A short history” from English into Thai, as well as translating a number of my father’s books and short stories from Thai into English. But I can say that translating Ms. Ayse Kulin’s “Last Train to Istanbul” (Nefes Nefese) into Thai is my first time translating a foreign novel. It was an experience that I enjoyed and cherished immensely.
TRANSLATOR BUILDS BRIDGES
What are the differences between writing and translating in your opinion?
Having had the opportunity to work as both a writer and a translator, in my opinion, I can say that for me, a writer is someone who builds castles, while a translator is someone who builds bridges. The reason I say that is because I feel a writer can unleash their ideas and imagination and convey their thoughts into their books without any limitations, and hence their books are like castles that they can build in any way they want. On the other hand, I feel
Charkrienorrathip Sevikul
that connect the readers from different countries, different languages and different cultures, to a book that belongs to a writer from another country. These bridges take the readers across the gaps to visit the castles that the writers had built, which in turn will help to bring the people of two different countries closer together.
Furthermore, in my opinion, I feel that the best writers are the ones whose works visibly take the center stage by displaying their fingerprints prominently through their skillful writing abilities that create deep, meaningful and engaging stories. On the other hand, I feel the best translator are the ones who work silently behind the scenes to convey the thoughts and underlying ideas of the writers, while not leaving too much of their own fingerprints.
Why were you chosen for the translation of this book?
Mr. Nikom Chaorua, who is the Managing Director of a Thai publisher called Arrow Publishing House, had published one of my earlier novels many years ago. He contacted me in August 2020 to say that his Publishing House was acquiring the rights to translate Ms. Ayse Kulin’s book “Last Train to Turkey”.
He wanted me to translate it since I am currently working in Turkey, and also because of my previous connection with Turkey since I lived in Turkey for 4 years when I was a teenager when my late father served at the Royal Thai Embassy in Ankara between 1986 – 1990. I think the reason I was chosen for this mission is because Mr. Chaorua believes that my firsthand experience living in Turkey would be beneficial in conveying the thoughts of a Turkish writer, as well as the deep Turkish culture.
Have you read this book or another book by Ayşe Kulin before?
I have heard of Ms. Ayse Kulin during my time here in Turkey this second time around, but I have to confess that I had not had the chance to read her books before this. I am very similar to most Thai readers in that we would first and foremost think of Mr. Orhan Pamuk when talking about Turkish literature and Turkish writers. And like most Thai readers, I also greatly enjoyed Mr. Orhan Pamuk’s books like “My name is Red” and “Museum of Innocence”.
“The last train to Istanbul” may the first book by Ms. Kulin that I have read, it certainly won’t be the last. Currently, I am proud to say that I have almost all of the English translations of Ms. Kulin’s book at home and I look forward to reading them all. Furthermore, I have collected the works of other Turkish writers, such as Sabahattin Ali, Yasar Kemal, Elif Safak, Ahmet Umit, Iskender Pala as well, so I am quietly establishing a Turkish Corner on my bookshelf.
TOOK 3 MONTHS TO TRANSLATE
How long did you finish the translation? Was it difficult for you while continuing your duties as a diplomat?
That’s right, as I am a career diplomat, I am only able to do most of my literary work during early mornings or in the evenings and on the weekends, so it took me about 3 months to complete the translation. The routine was not difficult, as I normally set aside about 2 – 3 hours to write every night or very early every morning anyway, which my father would always use to joke that we are “diplomats by day, writers by night”.
The challenge though was about translating another writer’s work, particularly a writer as famous as Ms. Kulin, and a book as beloved as “Nefes Nefese”. Furthermore, Turkish literature and Turkish writers are not yet very well known in Thailand, apart from Mr. Orhan Pamuk, as I mentioned earlier, so in a way, this project can be regarded as an opportunity to introduce more works of Turkish writers to Thai readers. There is certainly pressure there. I feel honored and privileged to have been entrusted with this task, but there was certainly extra pressure that I was always conscious about. Additionally, although Turkey is a popular tourist destination for Thai people, we are not yet very familiar with Turkish history and culture.
So I had to always think about which parts of the Turkish history I might need to explain a little bit more to help the Thai readers understand the situation better, and I had to add a few footnotes to give more information about historic figures such as Ataturk and Ismet Inonu, or some cultural details, such as the differences between Anatolia and Istanbul.
As for the translation itself, I feel I have been very lucky as the writing style of Ms. Kulin is very engaging and gently pulls the readers into the story. I enjoyed reading the novel so much that translating it was a very enjoyable task. My wife said I translated the novel with a smile on my face during those 3 months.
The book tells about the rescue of many Jews by Turkish diplomats working in France during World War II. What has this story taught you as a diplomat?
This book is based on the experiences related by some Turkish diplomats who were posted to Europe during the Second World War, who succeeded in saving many Turkish and non-Turkish Jews from Hitler’s grasp. I can relate to the challenging and demanding works that the diplomats in the novel were involved in. As a diplomat, I was inspired by the action and bravery of the Turkish diplomats in the face of adversity during those difficult times. Thankfully, the world has improved quite a lot in some ways, but then again, some things have remained the same as there are still conflicts and discrimination around the world. I believe diplomacy and dialogue still has a crucial role to play
in solving these problems.
A BRILLIANT LOVE STORY
You read what is written in the book to the finest detail. What were the details that impressed you the most? What do you think is the message the book wants to give?
I think what impressed me the most was how Ms. Kulin skillfully weaved and wrapped a deceptively sweet love story around a subject matter as heavy, as sad and heartbreaking as the plight and suffering that the Jewish people faced, particularly during World War II. It is beautifully written, and all the characters are remarkable and memorable. On the surface, it is a brilliant love story between a Muslim girl and a Jewish boy, but in actuality, it is much, much deeper than that. The book also talks of the complex bonds that bind a family, the changes that the society was going through which created tension caused by the different views between the conservatism of the older generation and the liberalism of the younger generations, as well as the dedication of those in power who tried their best to safeguard Turkey’s integrity and the safety of the Turkish people.
Regarding the message that the book wants to give, I think it is undoubtedly that love has incredible power. And different kinds of love are displayed in the book; love between lovers, love between sisters, love between a daughter and her father, love between a daughter and her mother, love of justice, love of humanity, love of a country. Love gives us hope and enables us to face difficulties and overcome indescribable hardship.
What did Ayşe Kulin say when she learned that her book was translated into Thai?
At first, I was unsure whether I should contact Ms. Ayse Kulin, as she is a very famous and highly respected writer who would undoubtedly be extremely busy. But I really wanted to contact her as a courtesy and to show my respects, as it may not be easy for a translator from one country to find themselves in the same country at the same time with the writer whose work they have translated. Furthermore, as I am only in Turkey for a set period of time, and my term would probably be ending soon at the end of my 4 years, so I did not want to miss the chance to at least try and contact Ms. Kulin. So with the help of my assistant, we were able to contact Ms. Kulin through her publisher. My hands were shaking and my heart was fluttering like the wings of a butterfly when I send her the first email. But no matter how nervous I was when I sent the email, it was nothing compared to when I received an email response from Ms. Kulin. My heart just exploded with excitement. She was very kind and said that she was pleasantly surprised that her book was being translated into Thai. I was very honored to have had the chance to speak to her on the phone, and I have kept her updated on the progress of the Thai translation of her book. Ms. Kulin has always shown kindness and warmth to me during all of our correspondents, and I sincerely hope that once the COVID-19 situation gets better, I’ll have an opportunity to visit Ms. Kulin and show my respects and high regards to her in person.
You have been working here for about 4 years, but your childhood passed in Ankara. What have you seen that has changed in Ankara in the meantime? What does Ankara mean to you?
Yes, my father was posted at the Royal Thai Embassy in Ankara between 1986 – 1990, and I was living here when I was 10 – 14 years old. Upon my return to Ankara in 2017, 31 years later, I found that Ankara has changed quite a lot. It has become more bustling, with more modern buildings. When I was here when I was a teenager, Atakule was opened for the first time, and it was the tallest building in the city, while Cinnah Caddesi was two ways street. I still have Turkish friends from over 30 years ago, who I still keep in touch with. We used to play football on the streets together and enjoyed the simple pleasures of those days like MeyBuz.
However, despite all the changes, I think Ankara still retains the charms of her older days, especially the Tunali, Kizilay and Ulus areas. I still have fond memories of all these places, as well as the various parks. Meanwhile, the Turkish people are still as kind and as friendly as ever. For me, Ankara holds a very important and special place in my heart. When diplomats say that a country that they have worked in feels like their second home, for me I think it is especially true with Ankara and Turkey.
I have spent a total of wonderful 8 years of my life here, and I feel very privileged to have the chance to work in Ankara and try to enhance the relations between our two countries. Even when I leave Turkey after this posting, you can be sure that Turkey will always remain a part of me.
