War in Translation: All Quiet on the Western Front

Kurt Beals is Visiting Associate Professor of German and Humanities Fellow in Literary Translation. He has translated a wide range of works from German into English by authors including Erich Maria Remarque, Hermann Hesse, Jenny Erpenbeck, Regina Ullmann, and Anja Utler.

All Quiet on the Western Front is a classic of anti-war literature. The novel first appeared in German (and in A.W. Wheen's English translation) in 1929 and became an instant bestseller. A new English translation by Kurt Beals was published by W.W. Norton in January 2025. Join Beals and Prof. Robin Ellis (William & Mary) for a reading and discussion of the novel and the challenges - and necessity! - of re-translating a literary classic.

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