The 5th World Congress of Translators of Polish Literature ended yesterday. It is an event that honours the efforts of those without whom Polish literature could not exist abroad. During the gala ceremony, the Transatlantyk Award granted by the Book Institute was received by three outstanding promoters of Polish literature abroad: Ewa Thompson, Tokimasa Sekiguchi and this year’s winner, Silvano De Fanti.
This year, the statuettes were presented to three winners – Prof. Eve Thompson from the USA (for 2020), Prof. Tokimasa Sekiguchi from Japan (for 2021), who were unable to receive the statuettes due to the pandemi. Also, this year’s winner, Silvano De Fanti was awarded.
This great celebration of Polish literature, held under the honorary patronage of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Professor Piotr Gliński, was attended by 500 participants, including 250 translators from over 50 countries – mostly from Europe, but also from North and South America, Asia and Australia.
Translators and guests of the Congress took part in numerous thematic blocks at the ICE Krakow Congress Centre, including a panel on the translation of Adam Mickiewicz’s works into foreign languages with the participation of Nguyễn Văn Thai, Tokimasa Sekiguchi, Andrei Khadanovich and Michael J. Mikos.
The congress ended with a ceremonial farewell to the participants, during which the director of the Book Institute, Dariusz Jaworski, thanked the translators for their great contribution to spreading Polish culture around the world, and a dinner. The next edition will be held in four years.