Paul Selver | |
---|---|
Born | 22 March 1888 |
Died | 6 April 1970 | (aged 82)
Occupation | novelist, poet, translator |
Nationality | English |
Citizenship | The United Kingdom |
(Percy) Paul Selver (22 March 1888 – 6 April 1970) was an English writer and translator. A prolific translator of Czech literature into English, he was best known as the translator of Karel Čapek.[1]
Paul Selver was born to a Jewish family, the son of Wolfe and Catherine (Minden) Selver. He gained a B.A. in English and German from the University of London.[2] After serving in the army during World War I he became a translator, novelist, and contributor to Alfred Richard Orage's magazine The New Age.[3]
Selver spoke and translated from several Germanic and Slavonic languages. In World War II he was a linguistic assistant to the exiled Czech government, but was dismissed when the Communists took over. In 1968 he was awarded a Civil List pension for his services to literature. He died on 6 April 1970, his wife having died six months earlier.[3]