Fourteenth Newsletter
Events of 2011
The students of the Balassi Institute studying Literary Translation (Szvetlana Batanogova, Natalia Engel, Maria Khokhlova, Linn Löffler, Andrea Šuput, Darko Tomšić, Maja Urban, Alžběta Vaculíková, Marta Tyszko) spent the days between the 9th and the 16th of January in the House working on their translations necessary for earning their Master’s Degree. - The preparations for converting the small building behind the House into a studio for disabled persons started in January. – We offered internship to six students of the Kodolányi János University of Applied Sciences at the Budapest HQ of the Foundation, giving them insight into the life of a non-profit cultural foundation. – MA students of the Department of Philology and Humanities of the Pannon University in Veszprém visited the House in March as part of the Curiculum. – The yearly HALMA meeting was hosted in Brussels. – On the 22nd of March, students of the Zagrab University studying Hungarology (Cvetko Ivana, Hollós Iva, Čengić Jasenka, Trubics Lilla, Mihaela Vlašić) arrived in the House for a six day long seminar led by Franciska Ćurković-Major, translating the novel „Háború és háború” by László Krasznahorkai. – Between 30 th of March and the 5 th of April a dedicated group of former Balassi Institute students (on this occasion Avi Dekel, Heike Flemming, Galina Rizsuhina, Alexandra Banchenko, Kati Fekete, Viktorija Santic, Tähti Pullinen, Reet Klettenberg, Liza Socsivko) met in the House for the second time, working on the novel Az utolsó farkas by László Krasznahorkai in the presence of the author. The post graduate seminar was lead by Dr. Mónika Dánél and Péter Rácz. They presented their work to the students of Pannon Veszprém Univesity. – Between the 7th and the 10th of April a Dutch translation seminar organized by Anikó Daróczi was hosted in the house. – Between the 17th and 24th of April, we had our fifth contemporary Hungarian-Estonian workshop for Estoninas. The participants were students of hungarology at Tratu University and young translators: Kirsi Zirel, Kristiina Lutsar, Aune Esinurm, Moon Meier, Marie Saarkoppel, Reet Klettenberg, Siiri Kolka and Krisztina Tóth. The workshop focused on works by contemporary female writers. - Between the 25th and 28th of April, the house hosted the participants of “Visegrad Poetesse” project: Nora Gomringer from Germany, Katarína Kucbelová from Slovakia, Clare Pollard from the UK, Kateřina Rudčenková from the Czech Republic, Anna T. Szabó from Hungary, and Agnieszka Wolny-Hamkalo from Poland worked on translating each-other’s poetry. Following the seminar on the 28th of April they had a reading in Veszprém, which was followed by two other readings in Budapest at Képesház. – On the week from the 14th to the 21st of May, Tuomo Lahdelma led a Finnish translator’s seminar. The participants: Eveliina Laurila, Johanna Raimi, Cserge Mónika, Helina Asp, Kenneth Partti, Ville Häkkinen, Tapani Hynynen. Guest speakers: Ignác Romsics, Lajos Mann, György Tverdota. – Between the 26th and 29th of May, the House hosted a Slovak translator’s workshop, led by Judit Görözdi. The participants were: Renáta Deák, Gabi Magová, Eva Andrejčáková, Vlado Janček. On the 18th of June Péter Rácz participated in the planning of a German language Béla Hamvas volume at Collegium Hungaricum Berlin. – Our annual garden party was opened on the 11 nd of June, by dr. István Bóka, the Major of Balatonfüred, and we launched the 10 th installment of the Füredi Fordítói Füzetek, with some of the translators reading their transaltions. (György Dragomán: Agyag). Margit Szilvitzky’s one man show was organized by Márta Kovalovszky and opened by Judit Kállói. The singers of the Hungarian State Opera (András Hábetler, Anna Herczenik, piano: Géza Köteles) gave a dazzling performance. This we had a new team made up Peter Bozsik and Márta Józsa take over the cooking of the Goulash Soup from the usual crew of the Writer’s Bookshop. Our guests were invited the view the permanent art exhibition displaying works by: Uri Asaf, Ferenc Banga, Imre Bak, Márton Barabás, Mariann Bán, John Bátki, András Böröcz, Imre Bukta, Mária Chilf, József Darázs, Pál Deim, El Kazovszkij, Miklós Erdély, László Fehér, László Felugossy, Áron Gábor, Bálint Havas, László Hegedűs2, Katalin Káldi, Károly Kelemen, György Kemény, Ilona Keserü, Károly Klimó, András Koncz, Antal Lakner, Lois Viktor, Rezső Móder, István Nádler, Réka Nemere, István Orosz, Vladimir Péter, Sándor Pinczehelyi, Sándor Rácmolnár, Gábor Roskó, Kata Szalai, Zsuzsa Szenes, Ágnes Szépfalvi, Tamás Szikora, Klára Szilárd, Margit Szilvitzky, János Szirtes, Zoltán Szlabey, László Szotyory, Gábor Szörtsey, József Szurcsik. Exhibition currated by: Márta Kovalovszky. – From the 21st to the 27th of June Robert Svoboda led a Czech translator’s seminar (Lenka Kubelová, Eszter Honti, Jan Blažek, Alžběta Vaculíková, Jiří Zeman, Tomáš Vašut) focusing on One Minute Stories by István Örkény, with guest speaker Jiří Januška. – From the 28th of June to the 3rd of July the participants of the Spanish translator’s seminar (Mária Szijj, José Miguel González Trevejo, Zita Máté, Veronika Major, Eszter Orbán, Márta Komlósi, Márta Pávai Patak, guest speaker: Ignacio Etxeverría – led by Kovacsics Ádám) worked on a novel by Nándor Gion. – In August the remodeling of the small house started, the contractors: Vemévszer Építő- és Szerelőipari Kft - Gótika Kft. – On the 9th of September the House hosted the prize ceremony of XIX. Salvatore Quasimodo poetry contest, after which Mihály Praznovszky, editor in chief of the journal Tempevölgy launched the September issue. – Our refreshed homepage can be found at: www.forditohaz.hu
The Catalan translator’s seminar took place on 22-25th September, led by Dóra Bakucz. – The winner of the 6th translator’s contest organized by the National Library of Foreign Literature Klára Navratil was also awarded a week’s stay in the House on the 23rd of September. – On the 2nd of October we had our Open Gate Day with lots of guests. On the 12th of October students participating in the translator’s seminar of the Panon University visited the House.
- The HALMA Literature in Flux event took place during September and October. The Budapest leg of the Russe–Wienna ship route was held at October 19-21. On the A38 ship Moje Menhardt’s exhibition (Dunaképek) was opened. Johan de Boose (B), Michal Hvorecký (SK), Thomas Stangl (A) had a reading on the same day. The singer Bea Palya gave a concert, which was followed by another music event (Soap& Skin). On the following day a round table was hosted on the ship, on the topic of freedom and speech with László Szigeti, Gábor Csordás, Éva Karádi and Gábor Schein. The roundtable was followed by readings, works by Filip Florian (RO), Nicol Ljubić (D), Ildikó Lovas (SRB), Peggy Mädler (D), Vladan Matijević (SRB), Péter Rácz and Gábor Schein were read by the actors Alexandra Borbély and Tamás Radnai. On the following day the ship sailed on to Bratislava. – From the 23rd to the 29th of October the House hosted a French translator’s seminar lead by Ágnes Járfás, (Olivier Bickart, Laurence Dulieu, Charles Thibeault, Bérengère Vogel) translating works by Lajos Grendel.
On the 10th of December we had a festive opening of the accessible studio behind the house (we named it Lajosháza after its former tenant). The people who helped us create the studio were invited to the ceremony: dr. István Bóka, the Major of Balatonfüred, dr. Bernadett Mátis (NEFMI), Tamás Horváth, Imre Olaj on the behalf of Vemévszer Építő- és Szerelőipari Kft, Gótika Kft; Mech-Vill Kft: Mariann Gódor; the designer Katalin Hanusovszky, as well as Endre and Tünde Illyés. The studio will host disabled translators; in suitable weather the front porch of the building will be a nice treat for all our guests. Photos of the ceremony: http://furedtv.hu/?p=videok&anyagid=2306
In 2010 Kinga Szokács continued to prepare extracts from our literary journals throughout the year to aid our translators; these can be found in the house as well as online.
Some of our guests visited the beach of the UNI Hotel, which is free of charge for our guests; we thank them once again for these opportunities.
Our caretaker, Zsuzsa Bocsor Mrs. Szamosfalvi once again did a splendid job all through the year, the guests were delighted. – Seven people received Milán Füst translator’s scholarships (most of them guests of the House): Irena Makarewicz, Martin Hrisztov, John Batki, Krumova Julia, Reet Klettenberg, Nelli Dimova, Éva Zádor. The main award went to Jurij Guszev translating into Russian.
In the course of the year the following media reported about the work of the Translators House: Napló (Veszprém); Füred TV; Magyar Nemzet: Wekerle Szabolcs; www.balatonfured.hu ; Napló (Veszprém); Népszabadság: Varsányi Gyula; Magyar Televízió: Bereki Anikó, Jelenik Amaryll; Magyar Narancs; litera – az irodalmi portál; Lettre International; Thank you!