Daniel Hahn

About this episode

Daniel Hahn discusses six things that should be better known, focusing on literature and translation.

Daniel Hahn discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Daniel Hahn is an award-winning translator, author and editor of numerous fiction and non-fiction works. He is one of the editors of The Ultimate Book Guide, the first volume of which won the Blue Peter Book Award. Other titles include children’s works such as Happiness Is a Watermelon on Your Head (a picture-book for children) and a new edition of The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature. He has been a chair for prestigious international prizes including the International Booker Prize, the IMPAC Dublin Award and the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. He was previously chair for the Society of Authors and currently serves on the board of trustees for English PEN. His new book If This Be Magic is available at https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/if-this-be-magic-the-unlikely-art-of-shakespeare-in-translation-daniel-hahn/75a20e19805e32b5 . Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak https://www.drttmk.com/books/outside-over-there Appalachian Waltz by Mark O’Connell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajkgNEO_Yeg&list=RDajkgNEO_Yeg&start_radio=1 Machado de Assis…

People in this episode

Host: Ivan Wise

Guest: Daniel Hahn

Topics covered

• translation
• literature
• children's books
• awards
• cultural discussion

Keywords

• translation
• Daniel Hahn
• children's literature
• awards
• books

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Ultimate Book Guide, Happiness Is a Watermelon on Your Head, The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature, If This Be Magic, Outside Over There, Appalachian Waltz, Hamlet Goes Business

More episodes of Better Known

• Tahmima Anam · June 7, 2026 · 30 min
• Séamas O'Reilly · May 31, 2026 · 30 min
• Ed Maklouf · May 24, 2026 · 28 min
• Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen · May 17, 2026 · 30 min
• Charles Moore · May 10, 2026 · 30 min
• Sean Murphy · May 3, 2026 · 30 min