In this session, Japanese literary translator Polly Barton will speak about her recent experience translating the 1997 stream of consciousness novel Karui Memai [Mild Vertigo] by celebrated writer and critic Mieko Kanai. The talk will focus on the practical and theoretical challenges posed by translating Karui Memai, including the novel’s polyphonic quality – looking at the negotiations between voice, fidelity and comprehensibility – as well as dilemmas around subjectivity and objectivity, dealing with culturally specific references, translating titles, and the expectations of a Western readership.