Translations take Nordic literature to neighbour countries

Tuesday, 31 March 2009 00:00

During the past two years, over three hundred Nordic titles have been translated from one Nordic language to another with support from the Nordic translation programme. The funds are provided by the Art and Culture Programme, and the translation programme is administered by the Nordic literature network. The programme is coordinated by the Norwegian NORLA.

The translation support is available borth for fiction and non-fiction literature. Support is distributed on the basis of applications from foreign publishers.

Overview of the support shows that the distribution follows the world wide trend, adult fiction dominating the market. The three hundred translated titles include also poetry, drama and non-fiction, though fewer titles than fiction.

Our markets are small, both nationally and in a Nordic context. Even if you would count together all readers in the Nordic countries, the number is small compared to the number of readers in Germany or in other neighbouring countries. Despite the capability to understand other Nordic languages, we prefer to read the Nordic titles in our own mother tongue - that is, through translation.

Translations are necessary in order to make literature cross borders. We do need translators as well as publishers. We tend to take it for granted that we can read each other's authors, but this is not the case. The reality for translators and translations is alarming both in the Nordic countries and in Europe. Literature in English is taking over the publishers' lists while less and less young and talented Nordic writers manage to enter the neighbouring countries' book markets.

Read more about the translation support on kulturkontaktnord.org or norla.no

Text: Gina Winje, Director, NORLA, translated from an original Norwegian text