Tag Archives: success story

Informational exchange on contractual conditions between translators

Dialogue with Publishers, Recruiting and motivating, success story, , , , , , ,

The German Association VdÜ has developed a very useful tool in contract negotiating which can be used by all translators, members and non-members.

The KNÜLL file, as it is called, is an information exchange between literary translators on the current status of the contractual conditions.

The file is based on the contractual conditions offered by publishers and other copyright exploiters, as reported by the translators. Upon request, this information is available to all colleagues in order to improve their stance in contract negotiations. Personal information is neither saved nor passed on; inquiries and reports are treated with absolute confidentiality.

In order to always be up to date, KNÜLL relies on the active support of the translators, who can provide information such as publisher name, language combination, genre of the work, publishing format, payment conditions, additional rights, etc. in an online form (sent by e-mail or by post: https://literaturuebersetzer.de/site/assets/files/1087/knuell-meldeformular_2022.pdf).

Inquiries can be made informally (the quickest way is by email). The translators addressing the inquiry are asked to state the publisher’s name, language, format and type of text and, if necessary, provide other information if it is relevant to the negotiation.

Inquiries are free of charge, active reporting is encouraged between members and non-members so that the position of each and every individual is strengthened and translators can benefit from a stronger starting point in negotiating.

As per December 2023, the database provides data on contract conditions of around 200 publishing houses and imprints in the german speaking market. 

The file has been founded in 1994 by colleagues in Frankfurt and has been in development ever since.

VdÜ keeps sending friendly reminders to members in order for them to provide current data. Feeding Knüll is seen as an act of solidarity, helping to improve contract conditions for all colleagues.

Residency of the Croatian Literary Translators’ Association for literary translators and writers

Residencies, , ,

The residency of the Croatian Literary Translators’ Association for literary translators and writers is the result of years of effort to create a space in Zagreb welcoming both translators and writers: translators, as voices of Croatian authors in the world, and writers who are still looking for their translators as well as those whose works are being translated.

During their stay in the residency the guests will be introduced to their fellow translators and writers, to Croatian publishers and cultural and literary milieu in general, but they will also be granted an opportunity to delve into the everyday life of the Croatian capital and the local traditions. In the long run, this project aims at making a series of new cultural links and putting Zagreb on the map of the European network of residencies for translators.

Residency of the Croatian Literary Translators’ Association for literary translators and writers promotes and encourages cooperation with language institutes, language departments at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, publishers, festivals and international networks for residential exchange. Part of the stay of our residents is dedicated to their work on the text which brought them to Zagreb, while the other part includes activities such as panel discussions with fellow translators and writers, workshops and masterclasses at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences as well as tandems with peers and guest appearances at literature festivals.

In 2022 nine translators and writers are to stay in the residency: Anita Vuco (Italy), Alida Bremer (Germany), Sara Latorre (Italy), Heidi Saevareid (Norway), Miłosz Waligórski (Poland), George Mario Angel Quintero (USA, Columbia), Olivier Lannuzel (France), Rusanka Liapova (Bulgaria) and Olja Alvir (Austria).

The project is funded by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia.

The residency has its own blog where all the news regarding its activities are published, as well as residents’ poetic diaries about their time spent in Zagreb. Some of entries are in English and you can read them here.

Translation Duel: In the Translation Ring

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The project “In the Translation Ring” (U prevodilačkom ringu) consists of a series of translation duels. No worries, no swords just words.

How does it work?

The moderator (or “arbiter”) decides on the text that will be translated and sends it to the two duellists a few weeks before the event. They send them back the translated text week before the event (or a message “just one more day, please”) so the moderator can decide on the talking points for the event. At the event, the original text and both translations are presented to the audience. Different solutions are discussed, as well as the translation process itself, peculiarities of certain genres, challenges of “translating” cultural differences and much more. Our first events were held live, but due to a pandemic, we, later on, moved to virtual space. However, this form works great in both ways, so virtuality has in no way damaged its dynamics.

What do we translate?

All forms of literary texts, short stories, extract of novels or poems. Until now, we had Duels dedicated to poetry, canonical texts, science fiction/fantasy, literature for children, contemporary novels etc. We held Duels for the translators from English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and German, and the target language is always Croatian.

Why do we do that?

We believe, and experience has shown, that this is a great way to promote literary translators and to demonstrate why literary translation is a legitimate form of art. The audience gets to see two different translations that are both valid but can lead to a very different reading experience, and thus become aware of the role of translators and of the importance of having a good translation.

Second, it’s not often that a translator gets a chance to see “their” text translated differently. It’s very illuminating, and we have learned a lot in the process, be that as participants or as the audience.

And last but not least, it’s fun.

What is the cost of the project?

Around 500 € per event. We held 10 events to date.

P.S. No translator was harmed during this project.

You can check some of the events on the following links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcuisvryMzk&t=1s&ab_channel=DrustvoDHKP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoNDlRXjDUk&t=4s&ab_channel=DrustvoDHKP

Who are we: Translators’ Portraits

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The idea for the Translators’ Portraits (Prevoditeljski portreti) project was born amid the pandemic. As the Association we wanted to make sure that all our members are safe and sound. As our work is often lonely in the best of times, we thought that it would make sense to create small networks of support among our members. The core idea was to connect older or more experienced members with younger or less experienced so they could share experiences, worries, and hopes, as well as get a chance to communicate with colleagues. From that, the project developed into series of interviews. It proved to be a great encouragement for everybody involved: younger translators got a chance to get to know more experienced translators and to learn from them (some of them were lucky enough to meet their role models in translation); older translators could share their experiences, talk about their work and times past and were shown that they’re by no means forgotten, but remembered and appreciated; we (Croatian Literary Translators Association) helped develop better communication among our members and got a series of important testimonies which could serve as sort of monument of time, but also as a way to review changes in working and cultural conditions; and the wider community could enjoy in the final product which is series of interesting interviews that offers a glimpse in the past and present work of literary translators and get a better idea of the importance of our work. All interviews are written and have four universal questions that are repeated with slight modifications in all of them and one extra question which interviewers formed based on their interests.

Participants: in the first “season” in 10 interviews participated ten interviewees and eight interviewers + coordinator for the project; in the second season which is currently running there are 12 interviews and 12 interviewers.

Aprox. budget: 1250€

Link for the project: http://www.dhkp.hr/aktivnosti/portreti

Radio Show: Literary moment

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Književni trenutak (The Literary Moment) is a series of 16 short radio shows broadcast every two weeks for eight months. The main idea was to ask literary translators on the one hand, and literary critics, theorists and writers on the other to speak about translated literature (not the same one, everyone chooses a different book). The goal of the project is to bring listeners closer to reading and encourage them to reach for a quality book. In order to spread awareness of the role of literary translators and strengthen their visibility in the media space, each participant places special emphasis on the translation itself, thus paving the way for the development of translation criticism. Since our main idea was creating a modern, urban show different from other shows dedicated to culture, each one of them is accompanied by a musical number that adequately evokes the atmosphere of the presented work, and we hired four actors and actresses who interpret the selected passage to give listeners additional insight into the text. The result is a mosaic of brief conversations about translated literature and the importance of reading, short enough to intrigue the listeners, and yet highly professional.

How-to:

– Arrange cooperation with a radio station and journalists who will host the show

– Choose 16 translators and 16 writers / critics / theorists

– Participants should choose one translated book to talk about (make sure that the recommendations are not repeated)

– Make a broadcast schedule

– Record material (5-minute conversations with participants, reading short readings with the actors)

– Edit the show

 – DHKP sends the announcement of the show to the membership, and after the show has been broadcast, a link to the recording on the Mixcloud streaming service: https://www.mixcloud.com/discover/knji%C5%BEevni-trenuk/

Budget: 12.000 euros

“Is there Something in the Air?” A Playful Antivirus, an Amazing Tribute to Translation

Lobbying, Visibility, , ,

March 2020: During the very first days of the COVID-19 crisis in Italy, a health care institution in Milan asked renowned children’s author Roberto Piumini to write something for youngsters that addressed the topic. This gave rise to a children’s rhyme that spoke about the Coronavirus in a gentle, lighthearted and caring manner. 

After being posted on Facebook, the poem instantly spread and quickly went viral. So viral, in fact, that Italian translators’ associations STRADE and AITI together with CEATL (Conseil Européen des Associations de Traducteurs Littéraires), and FIT (International Federation of Translators), decided to expand the project on a global scale by launching the initiative, joyfully embraced by the BCBF (Bologna Children’s Bookfair), of translating the poem into a variety of different languages. 

Over forty translators from all over the world enthusiastically volunteered to take part in the project, which formed a playful carousel of languages (English, French, Spanish, Galician, Catalan, Basque, Ladin, German, Russian, Dutch, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Czech, Swedish, Norwegian, Greek, Danish, Lithuanian, Afrikaans, Lesotho, Tshivenda, Kalanga, Hebrew, Polish, Slovenian, Croatian, Finnish, Turkish, Chinese, Arabic, Slovak, Hungarian, Quichua, Georgian) to be read and listened to. The BCBF also published an audio or video lecture of the translations and a short biography of the translators. 

This linguistic merry-go-round is a virtuous example of best practices because of the synergy created between translators, translators’ associations from all over the world and an international children bookfair like BCBF. 

And is a good example of the healing power of words, which thanks to the author and the translators involved, entered homes during a period of social isolation that was difficult for both children and adults.

As Roberto Piumini writes: 

Words are presents, words are seeds,

they’re gifts that we have plenty of

and if they’re good they’re all we need,

when we’re apart, to grow our love.

Last but not least, the project demonstrates the delicate and enriching cultural and social function of translators in connecting different languages and different ways of living and thinking. As translator Mulalo Takalani member of SATI (South African Translators’ Institute) wrote: «I am so happy to be part of the team for the translation of “Is There Something In The Air” into my language Tshivenda, it puts Tshivenda language on the map».

Have a look at the BCBF’s Fairtales magazine.

Down the Rabbit Hole: Working (and Surviving) as a Translator of Children’s Books

Lobbying, Visibility, ,

In 2020 and 2021, bookfairs were cancelled due to the global corona pandemic. Many panels took place virtually such as this international roundtable about the working conditions of children’s literature translators.

The speakers – CEATL and FIT representatives, child lit translators from the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, France, Germany and Italy ­– talked about what it means to translate books for children, reminding the audience that is as difficult as translating adult literature. They illustrated the working conditions in the different countries as well as the Ceatl Code of Good Practices or Hexalogue and the Guidelines for Fair Contracts.

The invitation to an international children’s bookfair like Bologna was an important opportunity to explain what child lit translators do, give them more visibility and, as FIT president Kevin Quirk said: “stand up for our rights.”

Ode to Translators of Children’s Literature

On this most momentous day
Let bells peal and flagpoles sway.
Let’s raise our gazes and sing the praises
Of literary translators in every way.

For you are the ones who make thousands of choices
While lending your readers your very clear voices
Reflecting the cadence and the tone
Of utterances soppy or dry to the bone.

Whether it’s text or speech, you do your best
Ask any one of us; it’s always a test
Of your envious strengths as you work your magic
On texts highly serious or even most tragic.

Whether it’s trashy non-fiction
Or literary greats,
You create understanding
You’re truly outstanding!

You deserve to be praised
You deserve to be proud!
You deserve a poem to be read out loud!

© Kevin Quirk, FIT President

A New Translation Residency in Slovenia (SUCCESS STORY)

Residencies, , ,

A success story from Slovenia about the newly-established translation residency “Sovretov kabinet” ‒ “Sovre’s study” (Dol pri Hrastniku, Slovenia) run by the Slovenian Association of Literary Translators (DSKP).

In 2019, Marko Funkl, the newly-elected mayor of the Municipality of Hrastnik, offered DSKP a small renovated flat in the town of Dol pri Hrastniku to be used as a translation residency. The mayor himself has a background in translation and is very active in promoting culture in his municipality. Moreover, the Municipality of Hrastnik is the birth place of a renowned Slovenian classicist, Anton Sovre, after whom our best literary translation prize—the Sovre Prize—has been named. The local public library also bears his name.

The agreement between the municipality and our association has been that we can use the flat rent-free as long as we refurbish it ourselves and do the general maintenance work. Most of the furniture we bought new, some we received as donation from our members, and the mattress was donated by a local company that sells bedding and mattresses. At 48.45 m2, the flat has a living room and a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a small storage room. There are a post office, a shop, a restaurant, a café, and a bus station  close by, as well as a little cultural gem: the Zmajeva luknja (Dragon’s den) antiquarian bookshop, run by the Rast Association.  It is a hub for literature aficionados and culture lovers in general. The local public library has donated a transferable membership card for our residents, as did the local public transport company.

The residency program was launched in 2020 and, because of to the COVID pandemic, it welcomed its first residents in June 2021. It is open to translators of literary, humanities and social sciences texts who have published at least two book-length translations. In selecting candidates, priority is given to translators translating from Slovenian, whose translation project will help promote Slovenian literature and humanities abroad. The purpose of the residency is to facilitate independent translation projects by individuals. Successful applicants commit to participating in at least one cultural event organised by DSKP. DSKP provides for their accommodation, a flat rate for travel expenses amounting to EUR 200 and an EUR 200 fee for participating in 1-2 events organised by DSKP.

Consultancy Programme for Literary Translators Working with Catalan (SUCCESS STORY)

Continued professional development, Recruiting and motivating, , ,

 

The Association of Catalan Language Writers (AELC), in collaboration with the Ramon Lull Institute, inaugurated in 2021 a new innovative consultancy programme that will match literary translators working in the same language pair, one of which is Catalan, with the aim of improving the quality of translations from Catalan in other languages and vice versa.

Participants will benefit from the insight and the expertise of a peer and qualified native speaker of their source language throughout their work on their translation project. In addition, the programme seeks to build an international network of professional translators working with Catalan.

The hope is that this new experimental scheme will be picked up by other cultural institutions that support literary translations, helping not just improving the quality of translated literature but also develop collaborative communities of literary translators. 

For more information on the programme itself, as well as on how to apply, please visit: 

https://www.escriptors.cat/noticia/projecte-consultoria-traductors and

https://www.ceatl.eu/new-consultancy-programme-for-literary-translations-from-catalan 

A literary translator in your neighborhood (SUCCESS STORY)

Visibility,

A success story from DHKP in Croatia.

Starting from the fact that at least 80% of all books published in Croatia are created by translating from foreign languages, the Association of Croatian Literary Translators (DHKP) has designed the project „Literary Translator in your neighborhood” so that readers can get to know the authors of those translations, people responsible for their joy of reading.

As part of the project, from February to July of 2018 DHKP organized several meetings of literary translators with readers in some informal city environments: in the city park behind the library in Dugave, in the mountain hut Puntijarka on Sljeme, at the Oncology Ward of the Children’s Hospital , in Bookar’s bookstore and in famous cafes Lusso and Kinoteka…

On those occasions, our translators read a clip from some of their translations and concisely presented the work to the audience with whom they talked about their vocation.

Meetings were moderated and prepared by Ana Badurina and Ursula Burger.

The goal of this project was to familiarize our citizens, in their neighbourhood,with the work of literary translators, to increase its visibility in the local community and in media. In addition, DHKP initiated this project as a step to those potential readers to whom it does not reach through conventional literary events.

On the Oncology Ward of the Children’s Hospital there were 5-7 children who were free at the time and did not receive any therapy. They were at different stages of their illness, so some just smiled or were very serious, others took part. We talked about the book “The Storm Whale” by Benjy Davies. One of the girls even read it in English (because she grew up in America), and we talked about their favorite animals and pets they have at home.

Some children arrived during the meeting, they were also accompanied by their parents.

After the discussion on the picture book, read by Vanda in Croatian and then ih English, we made a whale and continued a more informal conversation. A girl who was attached to infusions, and initially was terribly serious, began to rejoice and smile. We believe that, with our visit, we brought some joy and hope. The leader of Hospital School expressed interest to continue the meetings this year.

Conclusion: The project “Literary translator in your neighborhood” proved to be a valuable project that allowed literary translators to speak in a variety of environments in front of a diverse audience. Also, the project was very well advertised and attracted media and attention of public to literary translation. The project was reviewed on several occasions by various portals and newspapers and the Facebook announcements were submitted to the DHKP website.

Later on, the project evolved in “Literary translator in your town”, so members of our organization travelled Croatia far and vide to talk with readers. Also, in the pandemic times we developed “Literary translator on your screen”, and we organized on-line talks with our members that live abroad about there experiences in literary translation.