Second translator of Amanda Gorman poem was removed, claims it was because he had wrong ‘profile’

‘They were looking for a different profile, which had to be a woman, young, activist and preferably Black’

A Catalan translator for the poem that Amanda Gorman read at Joe Biden’s inauguration claims he was removed from the job after being deemed “not suitable”.

Victor Obiols told AFP on Wednesday (10 March), as per The Guardian: “They told me that I am not suitable to translate it.”

He added: “They did not question my abilities, but they were looking for a different profile, which had to be a woman, young, activist and preferably Black.”

Obiols had received a request from Barcelona publisher Univers to write a Catalan translation of Gorman’s poem. After he had completed the job, however, his publisher received a message stating that he “was not the right person”. Obiols clarified that the publisher had promised to pay him regardless.

He added: “It is a very complicated subject that cannot be treated with frivolity.”

RELATED: Read Amanda Gorman’s poem ‘The Hill We Climb’ in full

“But if I cannot translate a poet because she is a woman, young, Black, an American of the 21st century, neither can I translate Homer because I am not a Greek of the eighth century BC,” he said.

“Or could not have translated Shakespeare because I am not a 16th-century Englishman.”

Univers could not be reached by AFP for comment.

The news comes after Dutch writer Marieke Lucas Rijneveld resigned from the job of translating Gorman’s poem following criticism that a Black writer was not chosen instead.

At 22 years old, Gorman became the youngest ever poet to perform at a presidential inauguration. Her recital of “The Hill We Climb” was praised by audiences.

Additional reporting by AFP.