Finland – CEATL

Call for applications: ‘Translating the North’ into Italian (deadline: 15 July 2018)

StradeLab (http://www NULL.traduttoristrade NULL.it/stradelab/), a cultural association linked with SLC-Strade, is organising ‘Laboratorio Nordico – Translating the North’, the first peer-to-peer seminar for literary translators from Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish into Italian. The seminar is funded by the Danish Arts Foundation (https://www NULL.kunst NULL.dk/english/danish-arts-foundation/), Icelandic Literature Center (http://www NULL.islit NULL.is/en), Norla (https://norla NULL.no/en/pages) and the Swedish Arts Council (http://www NULL.kulturradet NULL.se/en/In-English/). →

Annual Finnish translation prizes granted to Vappu Orlov and Renja Salminen

The Mikael Agricola Prize 2016 has been awarded to Vappu Orlov for her translation of Mikhail Shishkin’s novel Neidonhius (Венерин Волос; in English published as Maidenhair). The annual award is granted to an outstanding Finnish translation of a significant work of fiction.

According to the jury, Orlov’s skilful and inventive translation flows lyrically, reading as though it were originally written in Finnish. →

Finnish literary translators join the Union of Journalists

In order to address their steadily worsening economic situation and their unfair position vis-a-vis publishers in the current crisis affecting all players in the printed media, Finnish literary translators have taken the initiative to establish a new organisation: a translators’ chapter within the Union of Journalists in Finland. The new subdivision’s primary task is to advance translators’ professional and economic interests. →

Finnish translation awards to Ilona Nykyri and Jaana Kapari-Jatta

The Mikael Agricola Prize 2014 has been awarded to Ilona Nykyri for her translation of Hans Fallada’s novel Jeder stirbt für sich allein (title of English translation: Every Man Dies Alone / Alone in Berlin). The annual award is granted to an outstanding Finnish translation of a work of fiction. →

Schwob sets up English website on the world’s best unknown books

Schwob, an initiative to publicize largely untranslated modern classics, cult books and must-reads from all over the world, recently launched its English website: en.schwob-books.eu (http://en NULL.schwob-books NULL.eu/). The site is part of a larger project to find and promote insider tips about modern European literature.

An international network of translators, publishing houses, festivals and literature foundations contribute by suggesting titles, as well as providing sample translations, background articles, and information on how to acquire rights. →

Annual Finnish translation prizes granted to Tapani Kärkkäinen, Miika Luoto and Tarja Roinila

Tapani Kärkkäinen has won the 2013 Mikael Agricola Prize for his translation of the novel Vaeltajat (original title: ‘Bieguni’) by the Polish author Olga Tokarczuk. The annual award is granted to an outstanding Finnish translation of a work of fiction. According to the jury, Kärkkäinen has a flair for finding the right words and phrases for the right context so that the reader feels he or she is reading good literature – and not a bad translation. →

98 subtitlers resigned from Broadcast Text International in Finland

98 subtitlers have resigned from Broadcast Text International in Finland after having been outsourced there by MTV Media, a major commercial broadcasting company.

On October 1st, 110 subtitlers working under freelance contracts were outsourced to BTI International, a subsidiary of Broadcast Text International. According to Finnish law, outsourced employees have a right to resign without notice during the first month after the deal – 98 subtitlers chose to use that right. →

New residence for literary translators and writers in Finland

The Finnish young authors’ association Nuoren voiman liitto offers accommodation for young writers and literary translators from all over the world. Priority is given to guests aged under 40.

The residence, Villa Sarkia, is situated in Sysmä (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Sysm%C3%A4), a small town about two hours from the capital of Finland, Helsinki. →

Finnish Supreme Court settled an important copyright dispute in the right holder’s favour

The Finnish Supreme Court set a significant precedent concerning copyright on 4 November 2011. The case involved the publication of a book translation as a Loisto pocketbook without the translator’s permission. The case had been pending since 2006, when the translator filed suit against WSOY and Taskukirja Loisto Oy in the district court. →

The Finnish copyright society, Sanasto, demands additional funds for literature

Sanasto (http://www NULL.sanasto NULL.fi/), the Finnish copyright society that promotes, supervises and manages the rights of literary copyright holders, has set up a policy group with the following aims:

to obtain an appreciable increase in the appropriations set aside as compensations paid for Finnish public library lending;
to have libraries at educational and research institutions added to the sphere of compensation.

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