Paul Selver


Paul Selver was an English writer and translator. A prolific translator of Czech literature into English, he was best known as the translator of Karel Čapek.

Life

Paul Selver was born to a Jewish family, the son of Wolfe and Catherine Selver. He gained a B.A. in English and German from the University of London. 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.
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 6 April 1970, his wife having died six months earlier.

Works

Translations