1 ~ How did you end up in the world of dual language publishing?
Milet: In the early 1990s, Milet cofounder Sedat Turhan had a Turkish language bookshop in Hackney, London. As he was helping schools and libraries to build Turkish book collections, the teachers and libraries asked him for dual language books in English-Turkish and many other languages. So to respond to this need, Sedat started Milet along with partner Patricia Billings and they began publishing bilingual books in English with 7 different languages. Eventually this grew to 22 languages! Milet’s list of languages has now settled at 17, where there is consistent demand, but bilingual books have always remained the core of our work.
2 ~ What is the process for taking a picture book that has been published in English and then turning it into a dual language title – for example the Elmer books which are very popular in primary schools.
Milet: The process starts with securing the dual language rights to the books from the original English language publisher. In the case of the Elmer books, this is Andersen Press. We started by buying rights to books already published in English, because we felt it was a benefit to have familiar books appearing in bilingual versions. Next, we commission the translators. We ask the translators to make the text flow according to the natural rhythms of their languages, rather than sticking exactly with the English. This makes the stories a more authentic reading and learning experiences for children. Once they are completed and edited, our designer puts the translations into the artwork files supplied by the original publisher. This requires a lot of skill, to create enough space for each language to breathe and shine, while working within the confines of the original artwork. We eventually started creating our own titles, as that allowed us to build into the artwork and design the space we needed for the two languages.
3 ~ Why do you think Dual Language titles are so valuable?
Milet: Having bilingual books in the classroom helps to foreground the diversity of languages present in the classroom and in the world. They help bilingual children develop reading skills in their home languages along with English, and they give monolingual children opportunities to explore other languages. Reading bilingual books together can foster a sense of connection and appreciation of the many different ways we can express all that we have in common. Bilingual books are also beneficial for including family members in the reading process.
4 ~ How do you choose which titles to turn into Dual Language editions?
Milet: When we were buying dual language rights to books by other publishers, we looked first for books that were popular and meaningful, carrying messages of diversity and inclusion. We also looked more and more for books that were thematically or artistically adventurous. We did need to consider the amount of text to be translated and the amount of space for text in the design, which was often not changeable. More than anything, we wanted to bring the widest range of literary and artistic pleasures to bilingual readers.
5 ~ Milet also publishes your own original titles, is this process different or the same?
Milet: Yes, eventually we stopped buying rights to books by other publishers and instead created our own original titles, which we continue to do. Creating our own original books allows us to explore more ideas and artwork styles, and also to build into the design the space that we need to allow the two languages to breathe. This was a definite limitation of buying rights to books where the artwork and design were already set. So making our own books has given us more freedom all around. We take the book from idea to full fruition, and we can fine-tune all the elements over a longer period of time. It’s a lot of work, but it’s beautiful, collaborative work.
6 ~ Which is your favourite of your books to share?
Right now, we especially want to share our collection of inclusive, mindful board books on social-emotional themes written by Patricia Billings, illustrated by Manuela G Montoya, and translated by the Milet Translators Group. The titles are: Love, Sharing, Friends, Empathy, Gratitude, Emotions, and coming out in June, Self-Compassion and Belonging. They are published in English and 17 bilingual editions. The collection helps children develop the social-emotional skills they need to love themselves, those near them and far away, and the earth we all share, which feels especially important during these challenging times. These books offer children (and adults) encouragement and hope.
