Thinking Literature in Translation brought together publishing professionals, literary agents, and cultural mediators to reflect on international rights exchange beyond dominant publishing markets.
The panel Selling Rights. Publishing Opportunities Outside the ‘Big’ Markets examined how “small” and “big” markets had been defined within the global publishing landscape, and what advantages and disadvantages publishers, agents, and authors encountered when working from less central literary contexts. Particular attention was given to the role of cultural policies, collaboration among smaller markets, and the figure of the translator as a cultural ambassador facilitating cross-border literary circulation.
The discussion also addressed the pros and cons of attending international book fairs, identified genres and themes that had travelled most successfully across borders, and explored strategies for strengthening the international visibility of literature originating outside major publishing hubs.
Speakers:
— Gergana Pancheva, Sofia Literary Agency (Bulgaria)
— Ivan Fedechko, The Old Lion (Ukraine)
— Nermin Mollaoğlu, Kalem Agency (Türkiye)
Moderator:
— Nevena Dishlieva, ICU Publishing (Bulgaria)
Video: Ivan Nikolov
The conference was organised by the Next Page Foundation in partnership with the Cultural Center of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, the Department of English and American Studies at Sofia University, and the Bulgarian Book Association. It formed part of ThinkPub — Thinking Publishing, a project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union and the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria.
