Monthly Archives: May 2019
How to Market Books in Big Foreign Markets?
In relation to the recently opened competition for translation of literary works, and with the aim of successful design of projects to translate from Serbian into other European languages, Creative Europe Desk Serbia and the EU Info Centre are organising a round table with the topic of “How to Market Books in Big Foreign Markets? “.
The core aim of the competition is to improve the circulation of contemporary European literature within the European cultural space, where still the most comment and the most efficient way of achieving this is exactly through acquiring support for translation, promotion and distribution of works of foreign authors on the domestic market –where publishers have good contacts and the required experience.
However, in recent years the focus of the competition gradually shifted towards support translation from “small” into “big” European languages, and therefore publishing houses in Serbia are encouraged to apply for translation and marketing of books written by domestic authors outside of the country borders. This implies planning cross-border distribution and promotion of books, which frequently represents a demanding endeavour of penetrating (big) foreign book markets.
With the desire to initiate a joint discussion about possibilities and challenges of such projects and the intention to receive clear recommendations and guidelines, we invitie all interested parties to participate in the event which will take place on 22nd May at 3.30 p.m. in the premises of the EU Info Centre in Belgrade (7 Kralja Milana St).
The topic will be discussed by Mladen Vesković, independent advisor at the Ministry of Culture and Information who is engaged in works of co-funding and support to translation and marketing domestic literature in Europe and the rest of the world, Gojko Božović, editor in chief and director of the Publishing House Arhipelag and Aleksandar Drakulić, manager of the company MC Most withing which Knjizara.com is operating – the first and biggest Serbian internet bookstore.
The discussion will be moderated by Dimitrije Tadić, Head of Creative Europe Desk Serbia.
You can apply to participate until Tuesday 21st May, by sending an application to: kreativnaevropa@gmail.com.
Festival of EUPL Laureates
Publishing houses which have been winning the support of the EU through the Creative Europe programme for several years: Arete, Heliks, Kontrast, Odiseja and Štrik are organising a festival of EUPL laureates in Serbia for the first time.
The festival is designed as a series of promotions of books which won the prestigious prize of the European Union for literature, a place where we will meet some of their authors and where on a joint staged debate of EUPL winners we will try to respond to the question of how much we create Europe and how much Europe creates us.
Apart from foreign guests, festival participants also include translators, editors, theoreticians of literature and editors of cultural columns. The festival is organised by publishing houses Odiseja, Kontrast, Heliks, Arete and Štrik. During the festival, a mini book fair will also take place. More information about the festival and other activities within this initiative can be found on the Facebook page of EUPL publications in Serbia.
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME:
SATURDAY, 18th May
16.15−17.00
Presentation of the collection of stories Dani (All Dag verstoppt en aneren) of Gast Groeber, Odiseja
Speakers:
Spomenka Krajčević, translator
Marija Vukosavljević, editor at Odiseja
17.15−18.00
Presentation of the book Ostrvo krah (Остров Крах) of Bulgarian author Ina Valchanova, Heliks
Speakers:
Ina Valchanova, author
Representative of the Embassy of Bulgaria
Jasmina Jovanović, translator
Katarina Ješić, editor at Heliks
18.15−19.00
Promotion of the novel Egzodus roda (L-Eżodu taċ-Ċikonji) of Walid Nabhan from Malta, Odiseja
Speakers:
Walid Nabhan, author
Marija Vukosavljević, editor at Odiseja
Moderator: Sandra Bakić Topalović, PR at Odiseja
19.15−20.00
Presentation of the novel Livro of José Luís Peixoto, a special guest from Portugal, Kontrast
Speakers:
José Luís Peixoto, author
Dejan Tiago Stanković, translator
Jelena Nidžović, editor at Kontrast
SUNDAY, 19th May
16.00−16.45
Presentation of the collection of poetry Stvarno i nestvarno postaje jedno telo (Rzeczywiste i nierzeczywiste staje się jednym ciałem.111 wierszy), of the Polish poet Eugeniusz Tkaczyszyn-Dycki, Arete
Speakers:
Irina Markić, translator
Ana Marija Grbić, editor at Arete
16.50−17.35
Presentation of the book Dvostruko staklo (Tvöfalt gler) of Icelandic author Halldóra Thoroddsen, Heliks
Speakers:
Sanja Milić, literary critic and editor of Radio Belgrade
Sanja Stefanjesko, Scandinavian Corner
Katarina Ješić, editor at Heliks
17.40−18.25 Presentation of the novel Dendriti (Δενδρίτες) Kallia Papadaki, Štrik
Speakers:
Kallia Papadaki, author
Slavka Vlalukin, literary critic
Dragana Bošković Kovačević, editor, Radio Belgrade 2
18.30−19.15 Presentation of the novel Hodočašće (Palveränd) of Tiit Aleksejev and collection of short stories Lepe strankinje (Frumoasele străine) of Mircea Cărtărescu, Arete
Speakers:
Ileana Ursu Nenadić, translator
Jasmina Jovanović, translator
Moderator: Ana Marija Grbić, editor at Arete
19.20−20.30
Staged discussion: EUPL laureates in Belgrade
Participants:
Walid Nabhan, Malta
Kallia Papadaki, Greece
Darko Tuševljaković, Serbia
European Union Prize for Literature – EUPL was established by European Commission in 2008 with the aim to encourage cultural exchange on the European continent and initiate
intercultural dialogue by supporting translation of selected, representative works from member and candidate countries of the European Union. The prize is operating and financed within the Creative Europe programme (at the beginning within the Culture programme). European Commission tasked the consortium comprised of the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF), European Writers’ Council (EWC) and the Federation of European Publishers to organise national juries and awarding or prizes. Each year twelve prizes are awarded to authors of prose works (novels and sometimes short stories) from 36 countries currently participating in the Creative Europe programme. National juries choose a winner from their own country every third year, so during the three-year cycle one representative from 36 all 36 countries is awarded. EUPL is important because it encourages translation of literature from smaller countries whose languages are rarely translated into big world languages, it emphasises variety and creativity of modern literature from all corners of Europe, with the long- term aim of encouraging interest in readers for literature which was not written in their own language and comes from other European countries.
Six Advices to Publishers Applying
Dear colleagues,
Publishing houses from Serbia are among the most successful ones at the competition for literary translations for the fifth year in a row, and we would like to help continue this trend in the coming years! This is why we are bringing your attention to specific guidelines and novelties in the competition.
1. Translate from Serbian into big European languages
Creative Europe programme is giving priority in support to translations done from “small” into “big” European languages. With a well thought-out strategy of promotion on the international market (fairs, bookstores, special events and online sales..) projects of translating domestic authors into one of the bigger EU languages have better chances of success.
2. Include works written in rarely translated languages
If you are translating into Serbian, there are languages from which literary works have rarely been translated. The competition is encouraging quality and diversity of offer on the book market, so take into consideration translating from Norwegian, Latvian, Irish, Lithuanian, Danish, Finnish, Swedish, Maltese, Icelandic, and also translations from small languages recognised by constitutions in countries participating in the programme: Basque (Spain), Arabic (Malta), Roma (Slovenia), Turkish (Cyprus), Catalan (Spain), Aranese (Spain), Occitan (Spain), Galician (Spain), Sami (Finland), Frisian (Netherlands), Welsh and Scottish Gaelic (United Kingdom), Old Greek and Latin … In the case there is no translator available for these languages, using bridge translation is allowed i.e. using the existing (authorised) translations. We are emphasising it is important to check the status of selected languages because recognised translations include only the officially recognised languages in the countries of Creative Europe, where the source or language of translation must be an officially recognised EU/EFTA language.
3. Choose less frequent genres
Projects proposing translation of literary works of less common genres, such as literature for youth (children, adolescents and young adults) comic books/ graphic novels, short stories and poetry, are especially welcomed. Apart from the listed genres, it is possible to translate libretto operas, dramas and other literary works containing elements of fiction.
4. Choose an innovative topic
The topic that will frame the choice of publications you are translating is an important aspect of evaluating the relevance of the project proposal. Relevance of the topic is evaluated based on the following criteria: the existence of the so-called European dimension, i.e. importance and specific nature for various countries, cultures and people living on European soil (shared topics and questions for Europeans which help approximation and better understanding of people and different shared phenomena); how current it is (the topic is important from the position of current problems, debates, situations) or innovative (the topic is new, unexplored, unprocessed and can be linked on the European soil, in the field of European literature, art, critical thought).
5. Design a convincing promotion strategy
The project can be an opportunity to build a stronger relationship with your recurring reading audience in a new way – by introducing new ways of communication, expressing gratitude for their loyalty or including the audience in the process of preparing and promoting the publication (e.g. an invitation for a joint selection of the design of the publication cover). Also, the project can be an opportunity to address a new group of audience that you wish to win over – local community, people with special interests (athletes, fishing enthusiasts, gourmets …). In finding inspiration you can use the publication Audience Development in Serbia. A convincing strategy of promotion implies designing a set of activities that will increase the visibility of the project, using innovative practices and tools, and especially alongside utilising digital technologies. The plan of promotion must be realistic – it is necessary to state and plan the required human, temporal and other resources. You be creative here as well. For example, if your set of books is dealing with opera music in Europe, you can sell books together with opera tickets or in a set with a red lipstick and nail polish!
6. Secure automatic point with titles that won the EU Prize
The list of candidates has been published, and soon the name of the winners of the EU Prize for Literature will be known. Although numerous awarded works have already been translated into Serbian, bear in mind there are titles which have not yet been translated!
• Baştankara (Chickadee), Sine Ergün, Turkey
• Sekoj so svoeto ezero (Each with their own lake), Nenad Joldeski, North Macedonia
• Dak li l-Lejl Iħallik Tgħid (What the Night Lets You Say), Pierre J. Mejlak, Malta
• Man wortet sich die Orte selbst (Wording the Places Oneself), Iren Nigg, Lichtenstein
• Šiąnakt aš miegosiu prie sienos (Tonight I Shall Sleep by the Wall), Giedra Radvilaviciute, Lithuania
• Žuvys ir drakonai (Fishes and Dragons), Undinė Radzevičiūtė, Lithuania
• Amok. Eng Lëtzebuerger Liebeschronik (Amok. A Luxembourg love story), Tullio Forgiarini, Luxembourg
• Mierinājums Ādama kokam (A Solace for Adam’s Tree (a collection of stories)), Inga Zolude, Latvia
• Die dunkle Muse (The Dark Muse), Armin Öhri, Lichtenstein
Apart from this, the titles of domestic authors who won the EU Prize have so far been translated to:
• Quite Modest Gifts– Bulgarian, Macedonian, Hungarian, Italian, Moldavian, Polish, Slovenian and Ukrainian.
• The Fairground Magician, Jelena Lengold – Albanian, Czech, Macedonian, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Slovenian, Spanish, German and English.
• The Chasm, Darko Tuševljaković – Albanian, Bulgarian, Italian and Polish.
We are at your disposal for all questions and we are keeping fingers crossed for you this year!
Kind regards, Team of the Creative Europe Desk Serbia
Workshop: Think critically about the media and recognise fake news
Historical Archives of Novi Sad, 16th May at 4 p.m.
For whom is it intended?
Young people between 18 and 25 years old who are passionately active or interested in media and new technologies (journalism and criticism, online platforms, digital tools, media theory …). The workshop is a part of the peer-to-peer training for youth about media and new technologies.
What kind of knowledge and skills will participants acquire?
The core idea of the workshop is to encourage critical thinking about media phenomena and media messages. Workshop participants will understand the phenomenon of fake news and the context in which false information is created, but also manners in which this information is manipulated. Also, participants will be enabled to check media content using tools available on the Internet.
How to apply to participate?
Send an application to valentina@novinarska-skola.org.rs containing first and last name of the participant and their contact details, specifically until 10th May 2019. Apart from this, interested participants should send a short biography in several sentences in order for the people conducting the workshop to create workshop content in accordance with the competence and the knowledge of participants. A notification about accepted applications will be sent out by Tuesday, 14th May!
Who is leading the workshop?
Valentina Sigeti (1994) works in Novi Sad School of Journalism as project coordinator. She graduated in journalism from the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad in 2017 and during the same year she started master studies in Communicology. In Novi Sad School of Journalism, she is working on projects of media literacy and media discourse analysis. She is especially concerned with topics of media representation, influence of the media, stereotypes and prejudice in the media and harmful influence.
Milovan Nikolić (1996) works in Novi Sad School of Journalism on projects of media production and on a portal deconstructing fake news daily in Serbian media, Fake News Tragač. He is a senior student of journalism at the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad. He is especially interested in topics of civil and MOJO journalism, and also photo and video forensics.
Novi Sad School of Journalism is a civil society organisation dealing with development and professionalisation of the media sphere in Serbia and the region, cherishing the values of truth, knowledge and critical approach in a multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-national environment and nurturing thought-out and tolerant dialogue. Project activities of the organisation are directed towards: raising professional capacities in the media sector, monitoring and analysis of media content, educating different target groups about media literacy, and also public advocating contributing to democratisation and development of civil society and promotion of European values. Novi Sad School of Journalism is the founder of websites medijskapismenost.org.rs and fakenews.rs where educational texts about the media are being published, as well as deconstructed fake news in Serbian media.
