Hej!

Ian Giles is the translator of Andrev Walden’s Bloody Awful in Different Ways.

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE AUGUST PRIZE 2023

“I’m fizzing. I love not being his son.
Yes. I can feel it in my whole body. A great thrill – as if an adventure has begun. As if I’m the boy in a book about a boy who finds out his dad is the king of a magical and distant land.“

Whether you’re looking for a literary translator, an invited speaker, or expert input on a project, please feel free to get in touch. Details on my contact page.

Meet Ian Giles

I’m an Edinburgh-based translator working from Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish into English. With over a decade of experience, I’ve brought more than 40 titles to English-speaking readers, ranging from bestselling fiction to complex academic and cultural texts. Recent publications include high-profile translations of authors such as Ørjan Karlsson, Camilla Läckberg, David Lagercrantz, and Søren Sveistrup, as well as the international best seller Bloody Awful in Different Ways, by Andrev Walden (order your copy now from Bookshop.org).

View a full list of publications here: Ian’s Published Translations

I’m passionate about building a stronger, more visible translation community. As a translator, I support my peers across the world of publishing; I regularly organise workshops, conferences, and public events to support professional development and raise awareness of literary translation.

For more information on my expertise for speaking engagements, panel moderation, and media commentary, see Press, Comment & Expertise.

Photograph of Ian Giles, translator

Memberships

I have served as Chair of the Translators Association since 2023 and in November 2025, I was elected to the Management Committee of the Society of Authors. I was previously the Chair of SELTA (the Swedish-English Literary Translators’ Association) (2018–2024).

I’m also an active member of:

  • DELT (the Association of Danish-English Literary Translators)
  • SFÖ-SAT (The Swedish Association of Professional Translators and Authorised Interpreters)
  • Översättarcentrum

I am the founder of Literary Translation Events Ltd, which organises the annual event The Assembly of Literary Translators.