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Clara Brussel Winston

クララ・ブラスセル・ウィンストン

Clara Brussel Winston

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
New York, New York, United States
Died
1983-11-07 （New York, United States） age 61
Nationality
United States
Languages
English, German
Residence History
New York (birth and early life) → Vermont (farm residence from 1943)

Career

Occupations
Translator, Novelist, Editor
Active Years
1938-1983
Influenced By
Thomas Mann (author translated; influence), Franz Kafka (author translated), Hannah Arendt (author translated)
Influenced
Krishna Winston (daughter; translator)

Education

Brooklyn College
Country: United States
Attended with husband Richard Winston. Specific major and graduation year unknown.

Awards

American Book Award
1978
Work: In the Deserts of This Earth (Uwe George) — translation (with Richard Winston)
Result: 受賞
PEN Translation Prize
1972
Work: Letters of Thomas Mann — translation (with Richard Winston)
Organization: PEN
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Closest Kin There Is

1952 Novel

A 1952 novel by Clara Winston exploring family relationships and intimacy.

FamilyIntimacyPersonal relationships

The Hours Together

1962 Novel

Published in 1962. A novel about human relationships and the passage of time.

TimeRelationships

Painting for the Show

1969 Novel

A 1969 novel dealing with creation and artistic expression.

ArtCreation

Letters of Thomas Mann (translation)

1972 Translation (Letters/Correspondence)

A major translation of Thomas Mann's letters by Clara and Richard Winston. This translation won the PEN Translation Prize.

CorrespondenceLiterary historyTranslation studies

In the Deserts of This Earth (translation)

1977 Translation (essays/literary)

An English translation of a work by Uwe George (translated by Clara and Richard Winston). The translation contributed to their American Book Award in 1978.

MemoryHumanity and history

Selected Translations of German Authors

Translation anthology

Representative collection highlighting their numerous English translations of German-language authors such as Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, and Hannah Arendt.

TranslationGerman literatureExile literature

Bibliography

  • The Closest Kin There Is (1952)
  • The Hours Together (1962)
  • Painting for the Show (1969)
  • Letters of Thomas Mann (translation, 1972)
  • In the Deserts of This Earth (translation, 1977)

Translations of Works

  • Letters of Thomas Mann (English translation)
  • In the Deserts of This Earth (English translation)
  • Works by Franz Kafka (English translations)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Interpretive translation balancing literal fidelity and readable EnglishApproach that respects original style while adapting to English-language readership
Recurring Motifs
Exile and memoryMoral and historical responsibilityIndividual vs. society

Legacy

Clara and Richard Winston were a prominent translator pair of German-to-English works in the 20th century, producing over 150 translations and winning multiple awards. Their interpretive approach—balancing literal fidelity and adaptation—has been influential, and their papers at Brooklyn College are an important resource for scholarship.

Archives

  • Brooklyn College Archives (The Papers of Richard & Clara Winston)

Quotes

  • Translation is an interpretative art which relies on intuition. We can be 'devoutly faithful' to some writers, but 'help [...] along' writers whom we considered less skilled, using our own discretion.
    Source: The New York Times (quoted by Clara in Richard Winston's obituary, 1980) (1980)

Trivia

  • Clara and Richard translated over 150 books together.
  • They moved to a farm in Vermont in 1943 and carried out their translation work there.
  • They jointly received the PEN Translation Prize in 1972 and the American Book Award in 1978.
  • Their daughter Krishna Winston is also a translator.
  • Their papers are housed at Brooklyn College.