Two translators among arrested human rights defenders in Istanbul

Two translators among arrested human rights defenders in Istanbul

On 5 July 2017, ten human rights defenders from various international organisations who took part in a workshop on the island of Büyükada, Istanbul, were arrested. Two of them, İdil Eser and Özlem Dalkıran, also work as translators. Both are members of the Translators´ Association Turkey (Çevirmenler Birliği, ÇEVBİR).

The workshop in Istanbul, attended by eight human rights defenders from Turkey and facilitated by two workshop facilitators from Germany and Sweden respectively, was a routine meeting to assist human rights defenders in carrying out advocacy activities. →

Open call: Artists’ Residencies in Austria (Deadline 18 September 2017)

Open call: Artists’ Residencies in Austria (Deadline 18 September 2017)

In co-operation with KulturKontakt Austria, the Austrian Federal Chancellery is offering 50 artists’ residencies in Austria (Vienna and Salzburg) for the year 2018.

Translators must have published at least two literary translations and are only eligible if they translate Austrian literature into a foreign language. The residency is designed to offer an opportunity to familiarise oneself with the Austrian art scene and cultural environment and to make contact with Austrian artists. →

Publication of the ‘Report on the economic value of book translation’ in Spain

Publication of the ‘Report on the economic value of book translation’ in Spain

ACE Traductores (http://ace-traductores NULL.org/) (Spain) has presented a Report on the economic value of book translation, prepared by the consulting agency AFI and financed by the Ministry of Culture and CEDRO, the main Spanish Reproduction Rights Centre.

Its main objective was to “check, get to know and quantify the economic value of book translation in Spain, taking into account not only the publishing figures but also the total amount of sales, whose impact, in the absence of statistics, is presumably higher”. →

Call for applications: grants for the translation and international promotion of Catalan literary and philosophical texts

Call for applications: grants for the translation and international promotion of Catalan literary and philosophical texts

The Institut Ramon Llull (http://www NULL.llull NULL.cat/catala/home/index NULL.cfm) has opened a call for grants for the international promotion and translation of Catalan literature and philosophical texts.

Applications for  promotional activities focused on Catalan and Aranese literature should be sent in by 26 September 2017.
Information about conditions and the application procedure can be found here (http://www NULL.llull NULL.cat/english/subvencions/promocio_literatura_intro NULL.cfm). →

Literary Translators into Spanish: Joining objectives on both sides of the Atlantic

Literary Translators into Spanish: Joining objectives on both sides of the Atlantic

Over recent months several national associations of literary translators into Spanish —from Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Spain— have combined  efforts  to improve the working conditions of their Latin American members, as well as to contribute to the prestige of the profession and the development of culture by means of the exchange of information, experience and knowledge, and also to promote common training programmes. →

Emerging Translator Mentorships (deadline: 28 July 2017)

Emerging Translator Mentorships (deadline: 28 July 2017)

Founded by Daniel Hahn in 2010, the translation mentoring programme of Writer´s Centre Norwich aims to develop successive new cohorts of literary translators into English, particularly for languages whose literature is currently under-represented in English translation.

The scheme matches up experienced translators with emerging translators for a six-month period during which they work together on practical translation projects, developing their craft through working on a chosen text or texts. →

European School of Literary translation starts off with summer school: Training the teacher of literary translation (Rome, 12-15 September 2017)

European School of Literary translation starts off with summer school: Training the teacher of literary translation (Rome, 12-15 September 2017)

The newly founded European School of Literary Translation (ESLT) aims to support professional literary translation by creating a sustainable pan-European infrastructure for the education of literary translation teachers. ESLT will contribute to enhancing the quality of literary translations and, consequently, to the promotion of European cultural and literary diversity and the European ideal of a shared European culture. →

Residency grants for translators of Icelandic literature (deadline: 1 October 2017)

Residency grants for translators of Icelandic literature (deadline: 1 October 2017)

The Icelandic Literature Center and The Writers’ Union of Iceland offer residency grants (http://www NULL.islit NULL.is/en/grants/) for translators of Icelandic literature. Successful applicants will be granted residencies of two to four weeks in Gunnarshús (the writers’ residence in Reykjavík) in 2018, except for June-August.

Gunnarshús (white house in the middle)

The grant includes travel expenses, housing and a sum of ISK 30.000 per week – to cover living expenses during the stay. →

Swedish model contract for translators terminated, new strategies in the making

Swedish model contract for translators terminated, new strategies in the making

The Swedish Writers’ Union (http://www NULL.forfattarforbundet NULL.se/) and the Swedish Publishers’ Association agreed on a collective Model Contract for translators several decades ago. The contract has been re-negotiated a few times, but it has generally been respected and practiced in almost all cases where publishers have commissioned literary translations, whether the translator or the publisher have been members of the organizations that signed the contract or not. →

Increased support for translations of Czech literature

Increased support for translations of Czech literature

The Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic has increased its support for the publication of Czech literature abroad. The terms of the new Support  Programme  allow for claims of  up to 70% of the total  cost of publishing . Within the application for a grant to publish the translation of a complete book, it is possible to ask for a

  • translation grant (up to 50% of the total cost of publishing)
  • cover design costs, graphic design, typesetting, printing (up to 50% of the total cost of publishing)
  • copyright costs (up to 15% of the total cost of publishing) and
  • promotion costs (up to 25% of the total cost of publishing).
→

Call for papers: International Conference on Samuel Beckett – Literature and Translation (Cáceres, Spain; 12-13 April 2018)

Call for papers: International Conference on Samuel Beckett – Literature and Translation (Cáceres, Spain; 12-13 April 2018)

On 12-13 April 2018 the Department of English of the University of Extremadura in Cáceres (Spain) will organise an international conference on  Beckett’s presence in  Spanish cultural life  over the last sixty years, with special attention to the Spanish renditions of his works.

Samuel Beckett

Although almost all of Beckett’s novels, dramatic works,  prose and poetic texts have been translated into Spanish, the quality of these versions  varies greatly. →

Former CEATL President Ros Schwartz receives John Sykes Memorial Prize

Former CEATL President Ros Schwartz receives John Sykes Memorial Prize

On 19 May 2017, former CEATL President and literary translator Ros Schwartz has received the John Sykes Memorial Prize for Excellence for achievements in the field of translation at a gala dinner at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff.

The Institute of Translation and Interpreting (http://www NULL.iti NULL.org NULL.uk/) (ITI) presents this prize to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the world of translation or interpreting over a long period. →

Polish award for publishers supporting literary translators goes to Wydawnictwo Książkowe Klimaty

Polish award for publishers supporting literary translators goes to Wydawnictwo Książkowe Klimaty

The Polish Literary Translators’ Association (http://www NULL.stl NULL.org NULL.pl/) has announced that the publisher Wydawnictwo Książkowe Klimaty has been awarded the second Jerome Lion, an award for publishers supporting literary translators.

From the very beginning, this young publisher has shown great awareness of the importance of a literary translator’s work. →

The Annual General Assembly of CEATL’s national representatives was held in Utrecht between 11 and 13 May

The Annual General Assembly of CEATL’s national representatives was held in Utrecht between 11 and 13 May

After the Board Report and the Treasury Report had been accepted, as well as the minutes of the last AGM in Barcelona, a new Executive Board was elected:

Morten Visby – chairman of the Board / président du conseil d’administration (Danish Translators’ Association)
Lara Hölbling Matković – secretary-general / secrétaire général (Croatian Literary Translators’ Association (DHKP))
Shaun Whiteside – treasurer / trésorier (Translators Association, UK)
Bjørn Herrman – vice-president / vice-président (Norsk Oversetterforening, Norway)
Kateřina Klabanová – secretary of the Board / secrétaire du conseil d’administration (Obec Překladatelů, Czech Republic)

New CEATL Board. →

The first Jerome’s Lion Award in Hungary went to publishers Magvető and Typotex

The first Jerome’s Lion Award in Hungary went to publishers Magvető and Typotex

Saint Jerome was a church scholar and Bible translator, originator of the Vulgata, the first Latin translation that our present bible translations are based on. According to fable he once pulled a thorn from a lion’s paw, whereby the animal became his faithful pet.

Publisher of one of the award winning publishing houses, Magvető

By awarding the Jerome’s Lion, the Association of Hungarian Literary Translators (MEGY (http://www NULL.muforditok NULL.hu/)) is following the footsteps of the Polish Literary Translators Association in adapting a best practice model to the Hungarian publishing market. →

Residencies at Czech Literary Centre (deadline: 1 June 2017)

Residencies at Czech Literary Centre (deadline: 1 June 2017)


The newly founded Czech Literary Centre (http://www NULL.czechlit NULL.cz/en/) organises two- to four-week residencies for foreign writers, translators, critics and literary scholars who are interested in, and want to learn more about Czech literature and culture.

The aim of the residencies, in form of creative scholarships and without any age limit, is to support literature, creative dialogue and international cultural exchange.  →

Call for applications: Translating literature for children and young adults (Lavigny, Switzerland; deadline: 2 July, 2017)

Call for applications: Translating literature for children and young adults (Lavigny, Switzerland; deadline: 2 July, 2017)

The Centre de Traduction Littéraire will be running the ninth themed workshop for literary translators at Château de Lavigny (http://www NULL.chateaudelavigny NULL.ch/), Switzerland, from 21 to 24 September 2017. This year’s theme will be translating literature for children and young-adults.

Five translators into French and five translators into German (from any source language) will have the opportunity to come together over three days to work on texts aimed at young readers. →