Narrative Text, Translator and Machine

Narrative Text, Translator and Machine: In Search of User-Friendly Translation Technology for Literary Texts is a multidisciplinary research project combining translation studies, literary studies, and language and translation technology funded by the Academy of Finland. The project aims to increase knowledge on phenomena that are closely linked to literary texts, translating them, and utilizing translation technology in literary translation.

The project studies narrativity and its modelling, literary characteristics and problems in their translation, the working methods and technological needs of literary translators, and ethical challenges such as copyright issues and sustainable development that are connected with using translation technology in literary translation.

As part of this project, we have gathered various types of  survey and interview data from literary translators and publishers. The accumulated data has also been applied in practice, for instance, by using it in the development of a new prototype for a language technology program, which aims to assist human translators in professionally translating literary texts from English into Finnish. During the later stages of this project, the prototype is further developed with a usability study.

The project’s principal investigator is professor Kristiina Taivalkoski-Shilov. You can find more information about the researchers on the Researchers page.

Recent highlights from our project:

Coming in 2026

❖ Article: In 2026, we will publish a scientific article based on a technology survey and subsequent interview data collected from Finnish publishing houses.

Autumn and Winter 2025

❖ Translation tool testing: We will be conducting usability tests for the program developed in our project this autumn. If you are a literary translator (working EN-FI/FI-EN) and interested in testing a new translation tool, contact our researchers to learn more!

❖ New summary report: We have published a summary report based on the survey given to Finnish publishing houses. (You can access the Finnish report through the Publications page.)

Summer 2025

❖ Publisher interviews: We interviewed representatives from the publishing houses that took part in the earlier survey and gathered additional information concerning literary translation processes and the role of technology in the publishing houses.

❖ Prototype for a new translation tool: We began developing a new plug-in for a translation memory program that would aid literary translators. The tool is intended to, e.g. enable the identification of characters and place names in a text, form networks based on their relationships, as well as recognise and analyse dialogue.

Spring 2025

❖ Survey for publishers: We conducted a survey aiming to find out how Finnish publishers working with translated literature feel about translation technology (TT) and how they may use it,
what issues does TT have from a publisher’s point of view, and what kinds of needs and wishes publishers have for TT.