The event emerged as a celebration of multilingualism, depth of translation around the world, as well as the power of imagination that translators possess. This year adopted a focus on languages that are often overlooked, resulting from their perceived marginal status, as well as languages rarely considered in German translation, such as Yiddish, as a language viewed often to be extinct.

Translators outside of the German-speaking world were also featured, such as from Brazil and Indonesia, translating not only into German but into other languages, achieving an ever-wider scope. Translation is often said to be organised geopolitical parameters, excluding large amounts of content and context from other languages. 

This year, the event was also a co-operation with Ukrainian literature and translation festival TRANSLATORIUM, taking place in Berlin due to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Thus, the festival commenced with the Ukrainian team presenting poetry in times of war, and a concert by Sofia Andrukhovych. 

The event promised an insight into the metamorphosis that translators mediate, allowing foreign languages to resound in one’s own, lighting up texts in their own languages, wandering between worlds as in-betweens. Here, one could see the diplomacy of literature and the imperative role in mediating cross-cultural dialogue, understanding and exchange.

translationale berlin is supported by the German Translator Fund (Deutscher Übersetzerfonds), Neu Start Kultur, and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (Die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien).

• - https://www.translationale-berlin.net/en/the-festival/
• - https://www.translationale-berlin.net/en/startseite-english/#a