Thinking Literature in Translation brought together publishers and cultural professionals to reflect on how success in publishing literary works in translation had been defined and measured.
The panel What Is Success in Publishing Literary Works in Translation? examined different understandings of success, questioning whether it had been primarily linked to sales figures, literary awards, critical reception, or long-term visibility within a target literary ecosystem. The discussion also addressed the role of translation grants, public funding schemes, and literary translators as key cultural mediators and ambassadors of literary traditions.
The speakers explored the structural challenges of publishing literature in translation, shared practical experiences from different European markets, and reflected on how symbolic, cultural, and economic forms of value had intersected in shaping perceptions of success.
Speakers:
— Alicia López González, Automática Editorial (Spain)
— Alma Čaušević Klemenčič, Beletrina (Slovenia)
— Bojan Sazdov, TRI Publishing Centre (North Macedonia)
— Nevena Dishlieva, ICU Publishing (Bulgaria)
Moderator:
— Svetlozar Zhelev (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.
