Carmen Vioreanu - Translator of the Month
March’s Translator of the Month is Carmen Vioreanu, who translates from Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish into Romanian. She studied at the University of Bucharest, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in German and Romanian language and literature as well as a master’s degree in German philosophy and literature. Carmen continued her studies at the National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest, obtaining a master’s degree in dramatic writing and a PhD in Swedish drama. She has also studied for shorter periods at universities in Sweden, Norway, and Iceland.
Currently, Carmen works as an associate professor at the University of Bucharest, where she teaches Swedish literature, Swedish society and history, translation, Swedish morphology, syntax, and lexicology, the history of the Swedish language, Nordic comparative linguistics, Scandinavian and Icelandic folklore, and Norwegian language and culture.
How did you end up translating Norwegian literature?
It was in 2001. I had already translated a novel from Swedish and was working on another translation—an anthology of contemporary Swedish short stories. I was working part-time for a Swiss foundation back then and met many theatre professionals at different events organised by the foundation or other cultural organisations. I soon discovered that many directors and actors were interested in reading Scandinavian drama. One young director in particular had just returned from Germany, where she had noticed that Jon Fosse was the latest sensation on the German stage. She was the one who introduced me to Fosse. She wanted to read his plays in Romanian and potentially stage one of them. At that point, I had already established an excellent collaboration with Berit Gullberg of Colombine Teaterförlag in Stockholm, who recommended and sent me Scandinavian plays. My first translation from Norwegian was Someone Is Going to Come (original title: Nokon kjem til å komme) by Jon Fosse.
Do you work with anything other than translation?
Yes, I have been teaching Swedish language, literature, and culture at the University of Bucharest since 1998, and I am currently an associate professor. In 2010, I also introduced Norwegian courses for students majoring or minoring in Swedish. Besides teaching, I handle numerous administrative responsibilities as the Swedish language and literature program coordinator. Research also demands a significant amount of time, as we are required to publish articles and books and give presentations at conferences in Romania and abroad. I organise various extracurricular projects with my students every year as well. These can include translation workshops (theatre, poetry, or short prose), conferences, or readings for the academic community and sometimes for the general public.
What is your best translation memory?
Since I’ve translated so much, I have so many wonderful memories from each translation. A recent experience that made me especially happy and proud was in November 2024, when I co-translated some poems by Jon Fosse with my students who are about to take their bachelor’s exams. I proposed a project where we would translate twelve of Fosse’s poems and then combine them into a poetry performance with a light and sound installation. The result was a twenty-minute performance included in the program of an international conference organised by the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of Bucharest. The students not only translated Fosse’s poetry but also performed as actors in the production—adding another layer of challenge! The overarching concept was based on the introverted society we live in and our unhealthy dependence on mobile phones. The enthusiasm for this project was incredible. Translation is a lonely job, so working with others is always exciting, especially when I get to guide young people who might choose to become translators someday.
Read more
Learn more about Carmen on Books from Norway.
Those of you who understand Norwegian can read her interview in full here.
Other translators interviewed in the Translator of the Month series.
