Annual report 2007

Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators
Uddens gränd 3, S-621 56 Visby
www.bcwt.org




Annual Report
2007



BALTIC CENTRE FOR WRITERS AND TRANSLATORS
was created in 1993, as a meeting point and workplace for writers and translators from the entire Baltic sea region; a tangible result of the 1992 Writers' and Translators' Cruise, "Baltic Waves". Spring 1996 the Centre was adopted under the auspices of UNESCO with the right to use UNESCO's logo

OBJECTIVES

BCWT aims to:

- stimulate the literary and cultural exchange between the countries around the Baltic sea, serve as a workplace and meeting point for writers and translators from the region

- actively work to promote the Centre as a site for cooperative projects, such as seminars, encounters and conferences compatible with the guidelines for BCWT

- support the creation of a reference library compatible with the guidelines for BCWT, as well as an information data base on the literatures of the region

- act as a promoter of formation and a source of inspiration in the cultural field in the Baltic sea region

- constantly seek new forms and partners for collaboration between writers and translators in the region, strengthen the cultural contacts giving priority the east-west aspect

- contribute to increase knowledge and exchanges between literatures and writers from the countries in the region

Members

of the non-profit organization BCWT are the Swedish Writers' Union, Gotland County Administration and Municipality of Gotland. The members appoint three members each to the Board of Representatives and nominate the Swedish members of the Board of the Centre.

Representatives

Gotland County administration: Lena Andersson, Joakim Hansson, Lennart Edlund , Gotland Municipality: Arvo Keinonen, Torsten Gislestam, Björn Jansson, Deputies: Solveig Artsman, Stefan Nypelius, Åke Svensson. Swedish Writers’ Union: Gun-Britt Sundström, Mats Fors, René Vázquez Díaz .
Assembly of Representatives was held on 21 May 2007.

Board of the BCWT

is composed of a Chairman and six members and six deputies. The Chairman is appointed by the Representatives on the annual meeting and the Board internally appoints its Deputy Chairman. Of the Board's six members, two are nominated by the Swedish Writers' Union, two by the County Administration of Gotland, of whom one represents the Gotland University College, one member - the Municipality of Gotland. The Baltic Writers Council elects two members representing the foreign Writers’ and Translators Unions for a two years' period

Members of the Board

Lars Magnus Lahne, chairman, Gotland University College. Deputy: Anders Granat, Gotland County Administration
Rolf K Nilsson, Gotland Municipality. Deputy: Sonia Landin
Peranders Sandström, Gotland County Administration
Peter Curman, Swedish Writers’ Union. Deputy: Ingela Bendt
Anders Bodegård, Swedish Writers’ Union. Deputy: Karl Lindqvist
Klaus-Jürgen Liedtke, Germany, Baltic Writers´ Council. Deputy: Nalle Valtiala, Finland
Kornelijus Platelis, Lithuanian Writers’Union, Baltic Writers’ Council. Deputy: Mudite Treimane, Latvian Writers Union,
Karin Fager, Gotland County Administration
Helena Sinervo, Finnish Writers’ Union, BWC, Deputy: Jaana Nikula, Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters
Mudite Treimane, Latvian Writers Union, BWC. Deputy: Piret Viires, Estonian Writers’ Union.



Meetings of the Board

During the year 2007 the Board had four meetings:
2 March, 21 May, 2 October and 14 December


Baltic Writers’ Council - BWC

BWC is an independent organisation which aims to support and inspire the Baltic Centre’s activities, as well as to be a forum for discussion of matters of common interest, to stimulate activities in the cultural field and facilitate cooperation between the writers/translators in the Baltic Sea region. The Centre is the basis of BWC, which nominates two members to the BCWT’s Board

BWC had its annual Assembly in Visby 2-4 March 2007.

THE OFFICE
has been open every week-day 8.30 a. m. – 4.30 p.m.

Employees:
Lena Pasternak, director
Yvonne Pettersson, managing assistant
Patrik Muskos, managing assistant

Services:
Eva Segerdahl Redovisning service, Book-keeping
Gustav Söderdahl, Accounter
Tore Karlström, Auditor
Bertil Ohlsson, care-taker, ap 2 hours per week
Computer support: IT-Strategen.



BCWT as a working place and meeting point

- BCWT is a working place for writers and translators from the Baltic Sea region, and if there is vacancy, from other countries. During 2007 the BCWT had 3074 guest nights and hosted 225 residing guests from 25 countries. Writers and translators stayed in average 3-5 weeks having a residence bursary that means that they stayed at the Centre, free of charge, with a literary project of their own. Thanks to the specific funding from the EU programme Culture, Swedish institute, Swedish General Consulate in Istanbul a number of bursaries could be granted to cover writers and translators’ travel and /or living expenses. Besides, a number of bursaries earmarked for residence at the BCWT were granted by different countries and organisations to writers and translators personally, e.g. Estonian Writers’ Union, Finland’s Swedish Writers’ Association, Norwegian Writers Union, Latvian Cultural Fund, etc. Among 225 writers, translators, cultural administrators, publishers there are those who stayed in connection with a shorter project or a meeting. BCWT as well served as premises for Readings, Open Houses, Meetings, Receptions, Dinners and Study Visits. The house was well-occupied and sometimes full to the edge.


Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators run comprehensive multilateral activity on an international, national and local level.


BCWT in international, national and regional cooperation

the Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators on the commission of and in cooperation with the Swedish Arts Council and the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepared and carried out conference THINK "FUTURE" – DO NOW, Children’s culture in the Baltic sea region in Visby on Gotland, 30 March - 1 April 2007.
The conference was being organized on the initiative of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs as a part of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), and gathered 80 participants from 13 countries (all Nordic, Baltic countries, Russia, Germany, Poland as well as Ukraine and Belarus)
The support and promotion of children culture is a matter of priority for most of the Baltic Sea States and there is a great richness of variety with regard to tradition, approaches and pedagogical and artistic working methods.
This conference provided opportunity to exchange experience and knowledge in questions of children culture for the purpose of strengthening and spreading working models and good examples that can inspire and lead to further developments in the work for children culture of high quality. The ambition is to develop cooperation and networks in the Baltic Sea Region. The focus of the conference was cross-border meetings, with special attention being paid to pedagogical aspect within literature and cultural heritage.
The conference had the form of lectures, panel debates, workshops and dialogue seminars.
Workshop topics were:
· Publishing for children. Approach to and attitudes towards children’s culture.
· Cultural policies concerning children’s culture, culture for children and culture with children. Is children’s perspective considered when cultural political aims and conventions being defined and applied? History, outlook, visions, specific problems with an international, national and regional perspective
· Words- in-use. Children literature as a working field: writing, translating, development, narration, models mediating literature and knowledge, importance of literature for a child’s language development
· History-in-use. “Lifelong Museum Learning”, cultural heritage, pedagogical visions, cultural environment
· Image and words
· Drama-in-Practise. Drama for children

The conference was aimed at networks and institutions for children’s and youth culture as well as producers, researchers, educationalists, politicians and civil servants, all with a base in questions concerning children’s culture. Certain points in the programme were carried out in cooperation with IBBY, the International Board on Books for Young People. Among the lecturers and speakers were Tiia Toomet, Playing and learning - from the experience of the Tartu Toy Museum; Kerstin Olander: Think ’Future’ – Do Now! Meetingplaces between Children and Culture Lotta Lundgren, Drömmarnas Hus (The Dreams’ House) - culture strengthens and liberates; Silvija Tretiakova, Meeting places between children and literature in Latvia; Helene Larsson, Riksutställningar, NIGHTPEAR - a storytelling exhibition that makes a difference; Alena Utachkina, Children’s museum in Polotsk; Monika Chojnacka, ABCXX1 - ALL POLAND Reads; Ida Braendholdt Lundgaard, Lifelong Museum Learning; Suzanne Osten about Children’s theatre through 30 years experience and Ann Sofie Barany, Baby drama; Kari Svedrup, Norwegian national programme on culture for children and youth.
The conference was financed by Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Swedish Arts Council and Swedish institute, supported by Swedish National Board for Cultural Heritage, Gotland County Museum, Swedish Travelling Exhibitions (Riksutställningar), Gotland County Library, Gotland County Administration, SIDA Baltic Sea Unit, Gotland University and sponsored by Strand Hotel Visby.
The conference was arranged and hosted by the Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators.
Working language was English with simultaneous interpretation into Russian.
The logotype was elaborated in cooperation with children in the kinder garden Linden in Visby.




BCWT in cooperation with the Swedish Institute

Byelarussian-Swedish Translation Seminar 23-26 feb
In cooperation with Swedish institute and Swedish Writers’ Union BCWT arranged and hosted a four day seminar with writers and translators from Belarus and Sweden. Participated from Belarus: writers Barys Pjatrovitj, Lavon Barszczeuski and translators Katja Zjilevitj, Volha Yakauchenka, Olga Rizmakova, Ales' Lukavenkau, Nasta Labada
From Sweden: writer Astrid Trotzig, translators Nils Håkansson, Thomas Håkansson, Kajsa Lindsten Öberg, Ann Wikström, Irina Karlsohn, and Dimitri Plax, and Stefan Eriksson, Swedish foreign office in Minsk, Henrik C Enbohm, Swedish Writers Union, Daniel Gustafsson, Swedish Institute, Lars Kleberg, Södertörn University




Baltic Writers Council/Östersjöförfattarnas råd. 2-4 March
Representatives from 15 writers and translators organisations gathered at BCWT to discuss questions of mutual interest.



Nordic International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY).
BCWT hosted the Nordic section of IBBY gathered on Gotland 30 march – 1 april. During the meeting the participants lived and worked at the Centre. Niklas Bengtsson, FI, Heidi Kliskinen, FI, Bent Rasmussen, DK, Vagn Plenge, DK, Ragnhild Madsen, NO, Marit Hassel, NO, Wiviann Wilhelmsson, SE, Kerstin Aronsson, SE, Christina Björk, SE, Anna Cokorilo, SE, Eva Fred, SE,Annika Holm, SE, Cecilia Torudd, SE.
The IBBY meeting guested the international Children’s Culture conference that took place at the same time.



Nordic Cultural Assembly 16 – 18 May, Visby
The Nordic-Baltic/Russian Culture Assembly was a joint event of the Nordic Artists’ Councils, the Swedish Joint Committee for Artistic and Literary Professionals (KLYS) and the Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators in Visby. More than 60 artists, politicians, officials and civil servants from Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Faeroe Islands, Greenland, Sapmi, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Germany and Sweden discussed cultural policies and cultural cooperation. The Assembly was coordinated in time and partially in program with the Baltic Meetings, arranged by the Baltic Writers Council (BWC).

The Culture Assembly was arranged with support from Nordic Culture Fund, Municipality of Gotland, Swedish Arts Council, Swedish Institute and participating countries.



Baltic Meetings on Gotland 16 – 19 May

Writers, translators, and cultural politicians congregated for an open dialogue, consisting of seminars, round-table discussions, and literary readings. One of the topics was a new mutual Baltic identity. Among the participants were P. O. Enquist, Andrey Bitov, Vladimir Tarasov, Nora Ikstena, Steinunn Sigurdardóttir and Argita Daudze. Arranged by the Baltic Writers’ Council
Baltic Centre was a host and contributed with logistic and administrative support.


Swedish-Finland Swedish and Greek-Greek Cypriot
The Greek-Swedish Cultural Committee and BCWT held a meeting, seminar and a public event 1-4 November. Situation comparison between Swedish/Finlands Swedish and Greek/Greek Cypriotic.
Among the participants were the writers Thanassis Valtinos, Greece, Niki Marangou och Kyriaks Efthymiou, Cyprus, Peter Curman, Ingemar Lindahl och Alexandra Pascalidou, Sweden, the minister at the Swedish ambassy in Helsinki, Anders Ljunggren and two greek language professors Monika Kallan-Karatza and Dimitris Paivanas

16 October, The Book Day
Joint venture between Gotland County Library, Bokia, The Almedal library, ABF and BCWT
The great autumn happening for every book lover

26-29 November. Writer- translator workshop
Ann Jäderlund – Lisette Keustermans. Translation from Swedish to Dutch


BCWT participated at every cultural breakfast meeting (once a month) arranged by Gotland Municipality during 2007


Events

18 may, Literature evening in connection to the Baltic Meetings

Words in Tune. 24 june, 1 july, 8 july, 15 july, 29 July
Music and literature program in S:t Mary cathedral. A cooperation with Visby St Mary Cathedral
BCWT arranged the literature part with Susanne Jörn (Denmark), Kjell Espmark, Björn Håkansson (Sweden) and Katarina Gäddnäs (Finland)


14 International Poetry Festival on Gotland. 26-29 July

As a part of this year poetry festival BCWT collaborate with Hide Cultural Quarry for two exciting evenings called HIDE-SoundArt_voiceInput were BCWT stood the literature input – the Voice.
Participating writers: Inger Edelfeldt, Eva Runefelt, Katarina Gäddnäs, Gerður Kristný, Jaroslaw Klejnocki, Kärt Hellerma, Stefan Ludmilla Wieszner, Per Zetterfalk and others
Participating composers, artists, dancers: C.Anders Wallén, Zachris Trolin, Daniel Eideholm, Pär Johansson, Jan Liljekvist, Per Åhlund, Anna-Tora Jonasson
New compositions music/sound/text were created specially for the occasion.

A cooperation with the Institute for Electro acoustic Music in Sweden, Rikskonserter and Hide Cultural Quarry

The Poetry Festival toured as usual around Visby and Gotland with programmes at Almedalen Library, the Historical museum of Gotland, Hide limestone quarry, the museum courtyard Petes in Hablingbo and in S:t Mary cathedral in Visby


6 september. Childrens’ books in India

Programme at BCWT with the Indian writer and translator Arundhati Deosthale who talked about children’s book in India, Ulla Rhedin, literature scholar and critic, about ALMA-prize and Ludmila Braude, translator of Astrid Lindgren
Joint venture between Gotland County Library and BCWT

”Låt poeterna komma!”
Two nights of cross cultural art meetings at TeaterStudio Lederman in Stockholm, 8-9 November was
an ”export” of this year’s poetry festival concept where poetry met electro acoustic music, dance and video.
In cooperation with EMS/Rikskonserter.

28 november. Literary evening at the Centre

Halyna Krouk (Ukraine), Igor Belov (Ryssland/Kaliningrad), Thöger Jensen (Denmark), Leonidas Donskis (Lithuania), Ann Jäderlund (Sweden)


The BCWT participated in the following

meetings and Conferences

9-10 February. Baltic Rim Conference.
Power to form society and your own life. Sustainable development in a gender perspective; networks and methods

9 March
Information and work meeting with representatives from Swedish Arts Council at the BCWT’s premises

11-13 March
BCWT representative participated in the conference ”Kaliningrad Identity” held at Kaliningrad University

4 – 5 May UBC (Union of the Baltic sea Cities) COMMISSION ON CULTURE
“European means for cultural cooperation” - the 10th Annual Working Session, Visby, 4 – 5 of May 2007, at Wisby Strand.
Presentation of the Centre and its international cooperation

22-23 May
RECIT annual meeting at the Translators Centre by the lake Balaton in Hungary. Harald Hartung, Head of Unit European Commission Directorate general for Education and Culture Multilingualism Policy, participated in a working session.

1-3 June
Kiel Literaturhaus / Salzau, Kulturcentrum. Festival European Debut Novell.
BCWT’s activity was presented.

24 – 29 June
BCWT contributed to a seminar about Bible translations at the Baltic Sea Convention

27 – 30 September
Gothenburg Book Fair

9 October
Gotland Culture Assembly
BCWT took part in the panel Culture and Business

12-20 October
Swedish-Indian translation workshop. Birgitta Wallin, Karavan Magazine, Ann Jäderlund, poet, Teji Grover, poet och translator

17-21 October
Swedish- French translation workshop at BCWT. In cooperation with Centre Culturelle Suedoise in Paris.

11-12 november
The Nordic Cultural Forum, Stockholm.
BCWT participated in the Nordic workshop Artist-in-Production.

5-7 December. Baltic Rim – Cross-Cultural Communications

6 December. Gotland County Library meeting 2007

7 December. Swedish Institute. Sweden in Kaliningrad 2005-2007



Other activities

Literary dinners, excursions, discussions, informal talks and readings from already published or works in process were regularly arranged in the course of the year. On several occasions artists and composers from our two ‘sister organisations’, the Baltic Art Centre, BAC and Visby International Centre for Composers, VICC, have been invited. They talked about their work ideas and also presented to some samples of their compositions.


BCWT’s Library

BCWT’s continues to build up a children books collection with focus on picture books from the Baltic and Scandinavian countries. The collection contains contemporary picture books as well as research literature in the topic.
BCWT’s library with its focus on reference literature, fiction and poetry from the Baltic Sea Region is unique in Sweden and the collection has been constantly updated.


EU Culture Programme: project 2007

A significant part of the administrative work as earlier was managing and reporting of the EU grant in process, reporting of the previous grants and application for new ones



The actual EU project started the 1 September 2007 and will proceed a year on. Funding is aimed at support
for writers and translators as well as for some activities and public events supporting and promoting European
cultural exchange and diversity. Mobility and residence and multilateral international exchange is the main
frame work that evidently matches the key activity of the BCWT.
The EU grant is elaborated in cooperation with EKEMEL (Translators’ School in Athens) and Belgian Translators’ Centre in Seneffe. Three partners are the members in the network RECIT, European Network for
International Translators Centres.
The network consists of 11 European translators and writers centres.

Visits
The Centre received many visitors – students from the University and schools on Gotlands, cultural workers, musicians, artists, politicians, civil servants, ambassadors and others.

Funders:

Swedish Arts Council
Gotland Municipality

The projects and bursaries were funded and sponsored by:

Swedish Government/Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Swedish Arts Council
Swedish Institute
EU Programme Culture
Letterstedska Foundation
Gotland County Administration
Gotland Municipality
Gotland University College
Estonian Cultural Fund/Estonian Writers Union
Swedish Consulate in Kaliningrad
Swedish Foreign Office in Minsk
Swedish Consulate in Istanbul
SIDA Baltic Sea Unit
Writers’ Union of Iceland
Nordic Council of Ministers
Swedish Embassy in Poland



Networks and partners

Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Swedish Arts Council
County administration on Gotland
Gotland Municipality
Swedish Joint Committee for Artistic and Literary Professionals – KLYS
Nordic Artistic Councils
Cultural department Gotland Municipality
Swedish Institute
Almedal Library
Baltic Art Center, BAC
Visby International Centre for Composers
Swedish Ministry of Culture
Roxy Förening
Hide Culture Quarry
Electro Acoustic Music in Stockholm (EMS)
Rikskonserter
Gotland County Museum
Gotland Art Museum,
Swedish Writers’ Union
Icelandic Writers’ Union
Baltic Writers’ Council
Gotland University College
County Library on Gotland
Swedish National Heritage Board
SIDA Baltic Sea Unit
Nordic Council of Ministers
Lithuanian Writers’ Union
Swedish Academy
European Commission
RECIT (Réseau Européen des Centres Internationaux de Traducteurs littéraires)
Europäisches Übersetzer Kollegium
Collège Européen des Traducteurs Littéraires (Seneffe)
Casa del Traductor
Collège International des Traducteurs Littéraire
The British Centre for Literary Translation
Magyar Fordítóház Alapítvány
Tyrone Guthrie Centre (à Annaghmakerrig)
Civilta dei Territori Letterari (Torino)
Vertalershuis / Translators’ house
Literárne informacné centrum
National Book Centre in Greece
EKEMEL
Regional Development Unit – Gotland Municipality
Icelandic Writers’ Union
Cathedral S:ta Maria in Visby
Litteratur Haus in Kiel
Frankfurt Book Fair
Gotlands Tidningar
Gotland Press
Swedish Radio
PA-kompaniet, sound, light and production







The Board thanks

The activity of the BCWT is dependant on good contacts with institutions, organisations and private persons in many countries. During 2007 we were supported by and cooperated with many old and new partners, both on and outside Gotland. Thank you all!

Visby, February 2008


Reports:
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Annual Report 2020
Annual Report 2019
Annual Report 2018
Annual Report 2017
Annual Report 2016
Annual Report 2015
Annual Report 2014
Annual Report 2013
Annual Report 2012
Annual Report 2011
Annual Report 2010
Annual Report 2009
Annual Reports archive

Books:
Taste of Paper
Allt är Väg
Navigare - Visby text book nr 1
Gender in Children´s Literature
Book about the Centre
Ett drömseminarium

Misc.
The BCWT Collection