07/06/2026
Before the announcement of the International Booker Prize winner, my naïveté led me to believe this would be another trip like the Texas book tour we did last year.
If anything, aside from the incredible honor of working side by side with my favorite client in the world, this interpretation trip gave me an entirely new perspective on the publishing industry.
Much like the food and beverage world, there is so much more that goes into publishing an internationally award-winning book than most would realize. There is, of course, the writer herself. Then the extraordinary translator, who essentially co-creates the story in another language while preserving its essence for new audience. There are the fearless editors who championed the manuscript against all odds, the publishers who cut through the noise and stood by the work, and the PR team who worked tirelessly navigating media inquiries and protected the integrity of every interview.
It’s an entire ecosystem devoted to amplifying the power of literature beyond the pages.
Witnessing that delicate orchestration—the magic behind the curtain—was something I‘ll always be grateful for.
Thank you to Shuangzi for insisting on bringing me on board as your personal interpreter.
Thank you for trusting me with your voice and will wholeheartedly.
Lin, thank you for expanding my literary vocabulary and stepping in whenever my cognitive load became too much.
Tinghe, thank you for being my biggest cheerleader whenever I doubted myself.
Irene, thank you for your incredible crowd management and constant moral support.
Michael, thank you for being both the muscle and the brains of the operation.
And Patience, the hidden figure whose work helped make this book—and this journey—possible.
I left the UK with far more than memories and a lot more ink to my resume. I left with a newfound appreciation for the village it takes to bring a story from one language, one culture, to the rest of the world.
And thank you, whoever you are, are watching this series of reel from an interpreter’s perspective.
