Ellen Corbett

Ellen Corbett is an award-winning literary translator, PhD Researcher, and Fulbright alumnus. Her translations from Irish have appeared in The Stinging Fly, Words Without Borders, and Modern Poetry in Translation, and translations from English have appeared in Comhar. In 2024 she won the Stephen Spender Prize for her translation of Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha's poem 'Scrúdú' ('Exam'). She is currently completing her PhD in contemporary Irish-language literary translation at Ulster University.

Articles by Ellen Corbett

Against English: The Irish Poets Who Have Refused Translation

Irish translator and scholar Ellen Corbett explores how some Irish writers have resisted or deferred the translation of their work into English — given the minoritisation of the Irish language and its 'definitely endangered' status. Unpacking the tumultuous, colonial history between the two languages, Corbett examines the varying stances of non-compliance poets like Biddy Jenkinson and Louis de Paor have taken in the past. What does this mean for Irish writers and translators today, who must tussle between greater international recognition and market reach, and preservation and authenticity?

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