Promotion of Literature in Translation Internships - Ukraine
June 2014
Slovak literature actively develops, new names appear, the popularity of female subjects rises, a lot of literary events and new festivals take place, literary
life in the Slovak capital and in smaller cities of the country is in full swing. There sincere interest in literary processes in Ukraine, the development of book publishing, translation activity,
relations between Ukraine and Slovakia are notable. The attention is also paid to the political processes in Ukraine and the hope for fast returning to a stable life. Special expectations are
associated with strengthening contacts between literary environments of Ukraine and Slovakia and further fruitful cooperation in the cultural sphere that will be useful for both
countries.
In these terms the internship of Oleksandra Kovalchuk, translator from Slovak into Ukrainian, in Literature Information Centre, Bratislava, that lasted from June 08 to June 18, 2014, was very useful. During the internship she met Slovak writers: Marosh Knajnak, Pavol Rankov, Ursula Kovalyk, Pavel Velikovsky, Maria Ferencuhova, Michal Hvorecky. Besides, the intern visited the Literary Club in the cultural centre "Danube", communicated with representatives of the Literature Information Centre, organized an interview for the edition "Book Review" (Kniznarevue), visited a literary evening of a famous Slovak writer Dusan Dusek and the premiere of a Slovak film "A Step into Darkness", got acquainted with representatives of the literary festival BRaK, Ferro Malik and Peter Michalik, and of the "Aspekt" publishing house.
Oleksandra Kovalchuk explores the problem and offers solution to it: "Despite the interest in Ukrainian literature and potential interest in Slovak literature in Ukraine, there is a lack of translators from both sides, that is why Slovaks discover Ukrainian literature mainly through translations into Czech which they know and in which they can freely read (books in Czech are in all bookstores of Slovakia and Slovak publishing houses do not publish translated books which have already been translated into Czech because that will be unsuccessful). Slovak literature remains unknown to Ukrainian readers, except a small number of publications in Transcarpathian Ukraine, despite the fact that the countries have a common border and related peoples. A huge space for the activity and motivation of translators is open. They have an important mission to contribute to the appearance of a new cultural context by means of literature".
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