Sinéad Mac Aodha, Director of Literature Ireland
Sinéad Mac Aodha is the director of Literature Ireland, the national organisation for the promotion of Irish literature abroad. Literature Ireland promotes Irish literature by encouraging international publishers to choose to publish Irish writing. To achieve this aim, we run an incentivisation scheme that awards translation grants to publishers three times a year.
It also organises a programme of residencies for visiting literary translators and coordinate the representation of Irish writers at events and festivals around the world. To help build an awareness of our programmes, we publish an annual catalogue, New Writing from Ireland, and we attend the major world book fairs.
Sínead's pathway to a career in the arts began with a degree in modern languages (French and Italian). After that, she spent a couple of years teaching English abroad and teaching French and English in Dublin, followed by a postgraduate degree in International Marketing.
She had also worked briefly as a market researcher in the Dublin office of the Italian Trade Organisation and promoted a language school in Italy.
In the mid-1990s, Sínead took up the post as the Literature Officer for the Arts Council, where she worked until 2003. It was in this post that she discovered how much she liked working with writers and with literature.
Sínead spent eight happy and fulfilling years there developing policy and working with colleagues in other art forms until she moved to head up Literature Ireland, which was called Ireland Literature Exchange at the time.
Who do you most admire in academic?
There are so many people I admire that it is hard to pick just one. I have huge regard for the Provost of Trinity College Dublin, Dr Patrick Prendergast. First, I admire him for having had the vision to wholeheartedly support the establishment of the Trinity Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation from the very first time we met with him.
I also respect his openness to the idea of welcoming the inclusion of an external organisation; like Literature Ireland as a partner in that Centre. This positive, outward-looking partnership approach to university development is far-seeing and refreshing.
Second, I also admire him for his unusual ability to cross the science/humanities divide. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure to attend a lunch with him and our Japanese translator-in-residence, Dr Hiroko Mikami, and I was very surprised to learn of his great love and in-depth knowledge of Irish poetry. Such a renaissance approach to learning makes him an ideal and visionary leader of the university.
What companies or brands do you think are getting it right?
I am very impressed by the Air France branding and communications strategy. I like the clean lines of the livery and the uniform and the way this uses the colours of the French flag. The company's safety demonstration video is witty and attractive and presents what is a very important, but often quite boring, series of messages in a playful, sexy and engaging way. It all exudes a sense of fun and French femininity while putting French women very much in the driving seat. The message is that the cabin crew is very competent, totally in charge and committed to your safety while still ensuring you have a pleasant experience onboard.
I also like the Aéroports de Paris branding – there is something very appealing about the use of the Eiffel Tower for all the branding at the airports. No matter where you come from, you know – just as soon as you touch down – that you are in Paris. This branding carries through right across all the airports, from the bathrooms to the shops to the luggage trollies.
I am also a big fan of the Gallery Press (Old Castle, Co. Meath, Ireland), whose beautiful books of poetry and drama have a very definite house style. Everything, from the quality of the paper and the choice of font to the artwork (usually of a painting) and jacket design, promises a quality experience, an invitation to purchase a journey for the imagination. This is particularly well exemplified in Still Life, the late great poet and translator Ciaran Carson's last collection.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
My mother told me a long time ago that I should learn how to listen very attentively as most people want to feel that they are being heard. I sometimes struggle to adhere to her advice, but I think I am getting better at it as I get older! I also think it's useful not to be afraid of silence – I often try to process what has just been said before I respond to it, even if this means that there is a small gap in the conversation.
What drives or motivates you each day?
I love my job. I think what I do is very meaningful. Each connection my team and I make overseas, each time we help bring some Irish writing to readers elsewhere in the world. We are taking something from Ireland to the world and hopefully helping to establish a long-term relationship between that person and our country. And so, each time I make new contact with a publisher or a festival director at a book fair like the great Frankfurt Book Fair or at a literature festival in say, Tallinn, Zagreb or Milan, I have the chance to convince that person that Ireland matters and that it's worth bringing Irish literature to their country's readers.
What are your thoughts on the future of social media?
I think people are becoming more and more aware of the potential abuses of social media. I saw a fascinating discussion about the abuses of social media (micro-targeting with political advertising) which took place at a forum in our Dáil (parliament) recently. One solution proposed was to declare personal data a human right – I rather like that idea, although I can see commercial interests rejecting it out of hand.
I also think, however, that social media are a fantastic promotional and professional tool when used wisely. By using several social media platforms, I now have professional contacts right across the world to whom I can reach out for advice and with whom I can share the news at the tip of a button. This creates a great sense of solidarity and community. Publishers and translators from Beijing to Chennai can learn about the latest news and achievements of Literature Ireland almost instantaneously, and I can learn about what's going on in their professional worlds, their latest achievements and sometimes their challenges. Even at an interpersonal level, this makes doing business face-to-face so much easier because we all feel as though we have an ongoing relationship throughout the year because of our interactions on social media.
Have you had a mentor or mentored anyone?
Unfortunately, I don't have a mentor at present – I had one, but she moved away after she moved sectors. I do mentor a younger woman in the sector – she's wonderful and very hard-working and dynamic. She's not afraid to challenge me if she disagrees with me, but she's also not afraid to seek and follow my advice when she needs to.
How do you network?
I like networking – I am not afraid to walk up cold to someone and introduce myself where the situation requires it, although I do believe that an introduction from the right person is often the most effective way to network. It also depends on the culture – an introduction is essential in China, for example. In Ireland, it's necessary to be seen, and so I try to attend a lot of literary and arts events. The literature sector in Ireland is quite small, so it's important to build strong links with professionals in other arts sectors.
How did you get into this line of work?
My background is in modern languages (French and Italian), and I have a Master's degree in International Marketing. I worked in the Arts Council for many years and found myself on an interview board, interviewing candidates for the post of director of a literature promotion organisation. At a certain stage in the process, I thought to myself, "I should be on the other side of this table – I would love this job" A year later, the job became vacant again; I applied and got the job!
What do you wish had known before you had started out?
I had a very naïve and lofty notion of cultural promotion when I started in the arts. As I have grown older, I have begun to understand the transactional nature of much of the work that we do.
The government awards funding to organisations such as mine provided we deliver programmes which it considers benefit both itself and the international image of the country. It's my job to convince the government of the value of the work that we do, even though much of that work is long term and even though the impact is often difficult to measure either in quantifiable terms or in the short term.
I now place much more emphasis in my funding applications on quantifiable data, for example, on press coverage and reviews abroad and a strong social media presence for a title and book sales figures.
What do you think is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Lack of preparation. You have to be prepared – a lack of preparation and insufficient research or resources can lead to mistakes being made. If enough effort goes into the preparation, the delivery of the project becomes the easy part.
What are you most proud of in your life?
On a personal level, my son, of course. He was born six weeks premature and was a tiny 1.54 kilos at birth. He's now almost six feet tall and a very fine, articulate and intelligent young man.
On a professional level, the fifty-odd literary translators from around the world, whom we have welcomed on residencies to Ireland. And whom I believe have almost all left with a love of the country, and a commitment to translate and interpret its literature to the best of their ability.
We have hosted translators from all over Europe and over a dozen from China, as well as a small number of translators from South America and other parts of Asia. It's costly and time-consuming work, but I am completely convinced of its long-term impact.
How do you define success?
Every time I see an Irish author either nominated for or winning an award for their work in a foreign language, whether that is Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill for her Irish language poetry in a Polish translation or
Colum McCann for his great novel Let the Great World Spin in Chinese, that is a success for me and Literature Ireland.
Each time the government awards us adequate funding to enable us to perform this function that, too, is a success. And, of course, on a very practical level, each time a new work of Irish literature arrives in the office which has come about with our support – that is a success!
What do you think is your unique skill(s) that helped you to become successful?
I lived abroad in Britain and Europe as a small child and had to immerse myself in some foreign cultures, schools and places. I think this helped me develop a strong level of cultural empathy. I like encountering people who speak and think differently from me. I love the idea of cultural exchange – of seeing things from another culture or person's perspective and sharing the best of one's own culture.
What valuable lessons have you learned so far that you could share with your audience?
In no particular order: It seldom hurts to be generous. Try to keep a record of everything you do – nine times out of ten, you may not need a record, but the tenth time it may be invaluable. Just because someone is young, does not mean that they are not wise. All human experience is translatable, and good writing will cross all borders!
Is there anything you are working on that you would like to share?
Literature Ireland will celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2020. I am working on a series of celebrations both in Ireland and abroad to mark this important milestone. We are planning to welcome several translators and publishers from around the world for different events in Ireland, we'll be posting many short stories in translation on our website, and we will have a gala event with Irish authors in translation in Dublin in May 2020.
We are also preparing several exciting literature projects for Expo Dubai 2020. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been actively preparing for this opportunity to engage with audiences in that region. I am really attracted by their imaginative approach to the showcase.
I am looking forward to programming some literary events in the Irish pavilion, to editing some publications and to possibly hosting some translators from the United Arab Emirates here in Ireland. I am keen to develop some projects which will have a legacy in terms of ongoing exchanges after the Expo has finished.
What's your favourite place?
The Copper Coast in Co. Waterford, which has dramatic cliff faces and beautiful seascapes, unspoilt beaches and rolling, lush countryside.
What's your hobby?
I love going to the theatre and opera. If I were reincarnated, I should like to be a stage actor or a director.
Best Holiday ever?
I spent my honeymoon on the Île de Ré, an island off the French Atlantic coast. I love returning there whenever I can.
What are you not very good at and What are you good at?
I cannot cook well. Fortunately, my husband is a very good cook!
I love hunting for bargains in second-hand, vintage and charity shops – I found a signed first edition of one of my husband's favourite books in a shop last week.
Which words do you overuse?
I do apologise!
What is your social media of choice?
Twitter, although my colleagues are nudging me towards Instagram, which is the perfect platform on which to present pictures of the latest Literature Ireland-supported books in translation.
When are you happiest?
Curled up on the sofa with my husband watching 'Spiral' with a glass of wine and some cheese. I have watched all seven series. The acting is sublime, even when the script dips a little.
Favourite Movie?
I have so many! Paolo Sorrentino's 'La Grande Bellezza', John Huston's 'The Dead', Carol Reid's 'The Third Man', Alexnder Sokurov's 'Russian Ark', anything by Tarkovsky... I love the cinema.
What living person do you most admire?
Vicki Phelan, the Irish campaigner for women affected by the cervical cancer pap-testing failure. Her selfless campaigning on behalf of all the women affected is impressive, and her ability to lead the campaign in such a dignified and articulate manner, despite her own illness, is utterly admirable.
A positive phrase would you like to share.
"This is important, but it's not heart surgery."
"No-one will die if we get this wrong."
"Things will look much, much better in the morning!"