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TRADUKI
Translations from, to and within South Eastern Europe
How do we initiate fruitful dialogue between the literature and publishing scenes of 13 different countries and induce them to engage in well-functioning cooperation? How can private foundations and public institutions, among them two government ministries, achieve a structure for working together that meets the requirements of all concerned? How do we build a network which, with so many different parties involved, must learn to deal with a wide variety of situations while developing an ambitious and committed programme? A network, moreover, which in South Eastern Europe, after years of conflicts, the dissolution of one state and the formation of new ones, must overcome boundaries – in every sense of the word – every day anew in its attempt to confront prejudices and establish new connections?
TRADUKI is headed by a programme committee and a steering committee, which decide on subsidies and on programmes and their objectives. These two bodies are responsible for ensuring that the available resources are utilised appropriately and economically. This alone is no simple matter, since funds are provided by various private and public institutions and combined for use, after which accounts have to be rendered separately for each sponsor.
The business office in Berlin, operated by the S. Fischer foundation, not only manages the funds but is also the central point of contact for all administrative matters as well as for all applications for subsidies of translations of German literature and non-fiction into the various languages of South Eastern Europe. An additional office in Sarajevo deals with all subsidy applications for translations between the languages of South Eastern Europe, updates the website and organises workshops, readings and book presentations in the region. KulturKontakt Austria in Vienna reviews subsidy applications for translations into German, prepares portfolios aimed at drawing attention to literary voices that are still unknown, and organises events in Austria.
The preconditions for all of this are a continuous flow of communication, unremitting efforts to achieve transparency and comprehensibility of the individual procedural steps, regular coordination of programme details, and other organisational necessities. In the case of TRADUKI, this has functioned successfully for three years now – not only because all those involved are motivated by a common conviction and joy in their work, but also because here, personal sympathy is combined with high commitment.
Nevertheless, this type of cooperation involves a lot of hard work. The proper functioning of a network of this type is not something that can be taken for granted; it requires a great deal of attentiveness to and understanding of the needs of each of the other participants. Above all, it requires the insight that far, far more can be achieved working together than if the parties were working individually.
KKA, Annemarie Türk
Project partners Federal Foreign Office of Germany Goethe-Institut Javna agencija za knjigo Republike Slovenije KulturKontakt Austria Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs S. Fischer Stiftung Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia
