Utkir Hashimov, Dunyoning Ishlari Translation

One year after the publication of my translation of Abdullah Qodiriy's O'tkan Kunlar, I have another manuscript ready for editing and publication! Working with translator Abdullo Ruziev from Andijon, Uzbekistan, we have translated a novel by Uzbek author Utkir Hashimov, Dunyoning Ishlari, into English. 

The novel is set in present-day Tashkent, Uzbekistan, during the Great Patriotic War and is the author's ode to his long-suffering mother-- pictured in the video introduction above. The novel captures the grinding struggle and poverty of Hashimov's family during that period.  We gain insight into the social dynamics of an Uzbek family living in a traditional Uzbek mahalla. Issues of domestic violence and corruption pervade the novel, but Hashimov also lifts the reader's spirit by demonstrating that love transcends any challenges one may face in life. 

If one considers that Hashimov was born in 1942, the novel captures a generation still with us today and within the Uzbek people's collective memory.  Shockingly little Uzbek literature has been translated into English. Yet, observers continue to form conclusions on a complex nation with little insight into the literary landscape that forms its national identity. 

Your assistance will help bring an important Uzbek novel to readerships worldwide.  Your assistance will help further the career of an aspiring translator from Andijon, thus inspiring others to follow his path. The novel will inform western observers and form a canon of English language translations of great use to the Uzbek diaspora community members.  Funds will go toward a professional review of our translation by trusted Uzbek academics, quality English language editing, design, layout, and cover art. We hope to have the funds available no later than the end of 2020 to begin the review process. 

Perhaps the greatest gift to me from translating Qodiriy's work has been the friends I have made over the past three years. 100s of Uzbeks have approached me, asking, 'how can I help?' This is my answer! Let's work together to bring this book into the light and gain a voice for Central Asia's people! Meanwhile, hear from Abdullo Ruziev below, who joined us from Andijon, Uzbekistan, to discuss his work in English and Uzbek:

 

Breakdown of costs:

Producing a print-ready book is not cheap.  By hiring seasoned professionals to provide a review of the translation from Uzbek into English, English language editing, copy-editing, design, layout, and cover art, you not only pay homage to the author who wrote the book, but you provide a professional face to the world on behalf of Uzbek literature, thus its people. The following costs are a bare minimum based upon my experiences with producing O'tkan Kunlar:

Uzbek review of translation: 6 weeks, western industry-standard rate of $25.00 an hour: $5,000.00 to $6,000.00

English editing/ and copy-editing: $5,000.00  x2: $10,000.00

Design and layout of the text: $1,000.00

Cover Art: $1,000.00

+/- $3,000.00: GoFundMe is taxed.

Costs will fluctuate. I hope to keep the budget at a neat $20,000.00 but more important to me than the cost is the final product's quality. The professionals I will hire are either in the United States or Europe. My rationale behind that is simply time zone differences and my ability to enforce a legally binding contract for deliverables. I have found out the hard way while working on O'tkan Kunlar: volunteers are just that. Although offers to help for free are freely given, they are tough to enforce regarding quality and delivery timeline. I have often encountered "I will get to it soon" when working with volunteers. In all honesty, if I did not have Angel Investors assist me with O'tkan Kunlar, it was unclear if I would ever finish the work in the quality that I hoped for and expected of such a great novel. 

Final note: when it comes to editing, you get what you pay for. When you render a text into a target language, that is really 25% of the battle. The other 75% is making the text readable to your intended audience. That takes a massive amount of time and effort. Thus, you will see a disproportionate amount of the costs be put towards English language editing. 

If I manage to raise funds above the $20,000.00 requested, I will put excess funds into the book's marketing and advertising.