For my Russian readers,
This summer, a number of you contacted me to report a problem with the translation of the Mirror Visitor into Russian. You sent me a comparison between the Russian version and the original version. I relayed the information to my French editor Gallimard Jeunesse to conduct an investigation. A freelance translator made an expertise.
This expertise revealed that the translation into Russian of the first three volumes of The Mirror Visitor did not respect the text I wrote. Entire passages have been deleted, liberties have been taken. I have not sanctioned any of these modifications. I wasn’t even informed. I have never been consulted by my Russian publisher on this matter. I was never contacted by the translator either.
I have been deeply affected by everything I have discovered over the past few months. It is not fair to me, but neither is it to you.
Right now, I am still waiting from my Russian publisher, if not an apology, at least an explanation. And in the meantime, those editions that I have not approved of continue to sell and get released.
So today I am taking the personal decision to dissociate myself from this translation. My wish is for it to be withdrawn from sale but that’s not up to me. My wish is also for a new edition, one that would be faithful to the text this time, to be made in Russia, but that is not up to me either. The only thing I can do is express myself here to explain the situation to you.
To end on a more positive note, I would like to thank the Russian readers who brought this issue to me. The comparison work you have done to point out the differences between the texts has been extremely valuable.
Thank you again and may the scarf be with you,
Christelle