4th Translators Congress

From 9 to 11 June the ICE Kraków Congress Centre will host the 4th World Congress of Translators of Polish Literature.The event organised by the Book Institute is first of all a feast of translators who are the best ambassadors of our literature. The congress is a way to thank them for their work, but it is also an opportunity for them to acquaint themselves with the recent trends in Polish literature and intellectual life, the works of value and their authors. The congress is held every fourth year. This year it will host almost 300 guests. The Krakow Festival Office, the operator of Krakow UNESCO City of Literature, is a partner in the event.

Three days of the Congress will be filled with 36 workshops, panels and meetings with authors, publishers and critics. The World Congress of Translators of Polish Literature is the greatest international event devoted to translators. Owing to their personal commitment translations of Polish books are released. The translators suggest Polish literature to the publishers and spare no effort to promote the authors. They are the best allies of the writers and the ambassadors of Polish literature. Living in a different linguistic reality on a daily basis, translators build bridges between cultures. Their effort is not to be underestimated.

THE TRANSALTIANTIC AWARD WILL BE GIVEN DURING THE EVENT FOR THE 13TH TIME TO AN OUSTANDING PROMOTER OF POLISH LITERATURE ABROAD. HIS OR HER NAME WILL BE REVEALED ON FRIDAY (9 JUNE) AT THE GREAT GALA IN THE JULIUSZ SŁOWACKI THEATRE IN KRAKOW, WHICH WILL BE BROADCASTED BY TVP KULTURA.

The first World Congress of Translators of Polish Literature was held in 2005. 174 translators from 50 countries participated in the congress. Four years later we hosted 215 translators from 56 countries. In 2013 nearly 250 guests accepted our invitation. This year we will host nearly 230 translators from 46 countries, translating our literature into 40 languages.