Ellen Elias-Bursać: Profile
Career Overview
- Freelance literary and community translator since the mid-1970s.
- Lived and worked in Yugoslavia (Zagreb, Croatia) from 1974–1990; later based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- Taught Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian at Harvard University (1994–2005).
- Served as translator/reviser at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague (1998–2010).
- Focuses on translation at the intersection of language, justice, and ethics.
Academic & Teaching Contributions
- Courses taught at Harvard, Tufts University, Zagreb University (Fulbright, 2018), and University of Iowa (2019).
- Ran translation workshops at ASU, New England Friends of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and University of East Anglia (2022).
- Former President of the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA).
- Received the Mary Zirin Prize for Independent Scholars.
Tribunal & Research Work
- Six years as a reviser at ICTY’s English Translation Unit.
- Authored the book Translating Evidence and Interpreting Testimony at a War Crimes Tribunal: Working in a Tug-of-War (2015, Palgrave Macmillan).
Articles include:
- “Thrust and Parry: Radovan Karadžić and the Translators and Interpreters at the ICTY”
- “Shaping International Justice: The Role of Translation and Interpreting at the ICTY”
- Research explores translators’ roles as mediators between institutions and witnesses in international justice.
Translation Portfolio
- Translated over 100 works from Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian into English.
- Major translated authors:
- Dubravka Ugrešić, David Albahari, Ivana Bodrožić, Igor Štiks, Damir Karakaš, Nada Gašić, and others.
- Works published by Open Letter Books, Seven Stories Press, Dalkey Archive, Bloomsbury, CEU Press, among others.
- Received recognition from MLA, ALTA, and the EBRD Literature Prize (2025) for translation of Sons, Daughters by Ivana Bodrožić.
Recent Work (2020–2025)
- Continued publishing translations and scholarship on translation ethics and trauma.
- Participated in global discussions and interviews on translation politics, poetics, and post-war literature.
Notable recent translations:
- Bedbugs by Martina Vidaić (2025)
- Celebration and Blue Moon by Damir Karakaš
- Sons, Daughters by Ivana Bodrožić (EBRD Prize 2025)
- A Muzzle for Witches by Dubravka Ugrešić
Professional Affiliations
- Contributing editor at Asymptote Journal.
- Associate at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University.
- Engaged with the British Centre for Literary Translation, Translation Review, and numerous literary festivals.
Central Themes of Her Work
- Translation as ethical and political practice.
- Mediating between languages, cultures, and legal systems.
- Giving voice to witnesses, writers, and marginalized perspectives through translation.
- Advocating for visibility and recognition of translators in world literature and international justice.
Reference:
This interview with Ellen Elias-Bursać, conducted by Shelby Vincent, offers a compelling insight into the life and philosophy of one of the most respected literary translators of Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian. Elias-Bursać reflects on her early engagement with Slavic languages during the Cold War, her years living and translating in Zagreb, and her transition from technical to literary translation. She discusses the linguistic and cultural complexities of translating among closely related South Slavic languages, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, dialectal awareness, and contextual sensitivity. Drawing on her experience at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), she describes translation as both a moral and linguistic act, contributing to justice while serving as a personal refuge. As a former president of the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA), Elias-Bursać highlights the organization’s adaptive leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and her hopes for a more inclusive future for translation. Her reflections reaffirm translation as a deeply ethical, creative, and connective human endeavor.
Early Career and Linguistic Roots
Ellen Elias-Bursać’s fascination with Slavic languages began amid the geopolitical atmosphere of the Cold War, shaped by both global awareness and linguistic curiosity. From 1974 to 1990, she lived in Zagreb, where she worked as an English teacher and freelance translator. Her early assignments included translating museum catalogs, technical studies, and public documents. Over time, she gravitated toward literary translation, contributing to Most/The Bridge and translating works by Antun Šoljan and Slobodan Selenić, establishing her reputation within the South Slavic literary landscape.
Translating Experiences and Challenges
Elias-Bursać characterizes her move into literary translation as a search for intellectual fulfillment beyond the pressures of short-term assignments. Among her notable projects are translations of David Albahari, particularly Snow Man, which she cites as a personal favorite. Translating across Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian demands sensitivity to linguistic subtleties and regional distinctions, especially dialects, slang, and tone. While she understands all four languages, she speaks Croatian most fluently and often collaborates with regional colleagues, such as Paula Gordon and Mirza Purić, to ensure linguistic precision and cultural authenticity.
Translation at the International Criminal Tribunal (ICTY)
From 2005 to 2010, Elias-Bursać served as a translator/reviser in the English Translation Unit of the ICTY in The Hague. She reflects on the moral gravity of translating witness testimonies and legal documents related to war crimes, viewing translation as both an ethical responsibility and a contribution to justice. Despite the emotional demands of this work, she continued her literary translations, which offered her what she calls a “haven in the world of words.”
She recalls a pivotal exchange in the courtroom when an interpreter, asked if his rendition was exact, replied: “That is verbatim what he said, just through me and in other words.” For Elias-Bursać, this statement encapsulates the paradox and beauty of translation, faithful yet interpretive, precise yet transformative.
ALTA Leadership and Vision for the Future
As President of ALTA, Elias-Bursać guided the organization through the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing its successful transition to a virtual conference format. She envisions greater cooperation among North American translation communities, particularly with Mexican and Canadian organizations, as well as expanded initiatives to support translators working in Native American and U.S. Spanish contexts. Beyond her leadership roles, she continues active translation projects, including works by Croatian author Damir Karakaš, and engages with academic institutions such as the University of Iowa, where she has served as Translator-in-Residence.
Philosophy and Advice
Elias-Bursać’s philosophy centers on the triad of clarity, collaboration, and humility. Her practical advice to emerging translators is elegantly simple: ask readers to mark any sentence they have to read twice. This method, she asserts, helps refine rhythm and transparency in translation.
She conceives translation not merely as the transfer of meaning but as a moral dialogue between languages, histories, and human experiences. For her, translation bridges the divide between text and reader, foreignness and familiarity, language and justice.
Through her reflections, Ellen Elias-Bursać illuminates translation as an act of moral imagination, a form of witness, empathy, and artistry that transcends linguistic boundaries. Whether in the courtroom or on the printed page, her career demonstrates how translators quietly shape the ethical and cultural narratives of our time.
Recap: Key Insights from the Interview with Ellen Elias-Bursać
- Linguistic Beginnings: Her fascination with Slavic languages emerged during the Cold War, leading to years of professional immersion in Zagreb (1974–1990) as a teacher and translator.
- Transition to Literary Translation: Moved from technical and community translation to literary translation for deeper creative engagement, contributing to Most/The Bridge and translating major South Slavic authors.
- Notable Works: Known for translations of David Albahari, particularly Snow Man, which she cites as a personal favorite.
- Linguistic Challenges: Translating across Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian involves managing dialectal variation, slang, and regional nuance; collaboration with native speakers ensures accuracy.
- ICTY Experience: At the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (2005–2010), she viewed translation as both a linguistic and moral act, essential to justice and truth.
- View on Translation: Defines translation as “verbatim, but in other words,” capturing the balance between fidelity and interpretation.
- Literary Work as Refuge: Literary translation offered her a “haven in the world of words” amid the emotional intensity of tribunal work.
- ALTA Leadership: As President of ALTA, she led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening global collaboration and inclusivity in translation communities.
- Vision for the Future: Advocates for partnerships with Mexican and Canadian organizations and greater support for translators of Native American and U.S. Spanish languages.
- Philosophy and Advice: Emphasizes clarity, humility, and collaboration; advises translators to ask readers to mark any sentence they need to read twice.
- Core Message: Translation is a humanistic bridge, an act of empathy, ethics, and creativity connecting languages, cultures, and histories.
Reference:
