In 2006, Daniel Wells of Biblioasis asked Stephen to become General Editor of the Biblioasis International Translation Series.
Since that time, BITS has grown into the most successful international translation series in Canadian publishing history. During Stephen’s more than 17 years as General Editor, the series grew to include English translations of more than 45 books from Austria, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Norway, Iceland, Spain, Catalonia, Quebec, Francophone Ontario, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Bolivia, Argentina, Angola, and Mozambique. Stephen selected and/or edited most of these books.
In early 2024, Stephen delivered his final title as General Editor. The Biblioasis International Translation Series continues under the editorship of Biblioasis publisher Dan Wells. Stephen will continue to contribute occasional translations to the series.
Stephen’s own translations include
Good Morning Comrades (Biblioasis, 2008) by Ondjaki. Translated from the Portuguese.
The Accident (Biblioasis, 2011) by Mihail Sebastian. Translated from the Romanian.
Granma Nineteen and the Soviet’s Secret (Biblioasis, 2014) by Ondjaki. Translated from the Portuguese.
— Longlist Finalist, Best Translated Book Award, 2015.
Transparent City (Biblioasis, 2018) by Ondjaki. Translated from the Portuguese.
—Longlist Finalist, Best Translated Book Award, 2019
—Longlist Finalist, International Dublin Literary Award, 2020
Transparent City (EuropaEditionsUK, 2021) by Ondjaki. Translated from the Portuguese (UK edition).
The Country of Toó (Biblioasis, 2023) by Rodrigo Rey Rosa. Translated from the Spanish.
Europolis (Central European University Press, 2025) by Jean Bart. Translated from the Romanian.
Handbook of Romanian Literature (Brill, 2026), edited by Oana Fotache and Liviu Papadima. Translated from the Romanian.
On Stephen’s translations:
Stephen Henighan’s translation is no mean feat.
Stephen Henighan’s superb translation renders the unconventional narrative into something akin to a musical symphony, full of unexpected pauses and overlapping crescendos.
One can only imagine the level of Stephen Henighan’s creativity to properly convey all of Ondjaki’s playfulness, nostalgia, and wistfulness without becoming mawkish, too flippant or irreverent.
Stephen Henighan has done an excellent job of conveying the narrative qualities and wit of the original in his English translation.
