Twenty translators of all genres of Catalan literature, residing in Catalonia, met at the Institut Ramon Llull to learn first-hand about the initiatives the Institute is developing to promote translation. Beyond providing information, the meeting also aimed to expand the network, build a community of Catalan translators, and raise their profile. Representing the IRL were the director of the Institut Ramon Llull, Pere Almeda, the director of the Literature Department, Izaskun Arretxe, and the entire Literature team.

The translator’s important task is to transfer a text from one language to another, but they are often also the ones who explore the literary landscape and who recommend and advocate for works of literature to foreign publishers. They are, therefore, a strategic element in the internationalisation of Catalan authors.

For this reason, the Institut Ramon Llull promotes various translation support actions:

Ramon Llull Literary Translation Prize: Awarded annually in two categories: the Career Award and the Best Translation Award. The rules and details can be consulted here.

Residencies: Two types are offered. On the one hand, translation residencies at the UAB, lasting between 2 and 6 weeks, and individual residencies at Faberllull.

Mobility grants for authors and translators: Aimed at translators, authors, illustrators, moderators and experts in Catalan literature for cultural activities outside the linguistic domain. Full details can be found here.

Specific programmes. Translator Programme (classics): This programme, launched in 2021, has already supported 57 translation projects. It covers the translation and creation of promotional materials for an author from the Catalan literary heritage with a view to internationalisation.

AELC Literary Translation Consultancy: A peer exchange system between translators from and into Catalan to improve the quality of translations into other languages. In 2024, the Association promoted 12 translation consultancies into German, Arabic, Hungarian, Italian, French and Swedish.

Training through translation seminars: Since 2006, seminars have been organised in more than 15 languages: German, Greek, Portuguese, Hungarian, Hebrew, English, Galician, Basque, Croatian, Dutch, French, Polish, Serbian, Russian, Swedish, Danish, Turkish and Chinese.

For 2025, the following seminars are planned: translators of Mireia Calafell (Faberllull, 9–13 June), a translation seminar into Arabic (Faberllull, 10–14 November), and a translation seminar into various Latin American varieties of Spanish (FIL Guadalajara, 2 December).

The translators who took part in the meeting are:

Mara Faye Lethem
Nina Avrova
Claudia Kalász
Alexander Fidora
Damià Alou
Jordi Virallonga
Frans Oosterholt
Antonella Caron
Enrico Ianniello
Antoneta Borisova
Rebecca Simpson
Robert Strange
Kata Varju
Laura McGloughlin
Ronald Puppo
Kathleen Mcnerney
Amaranta Sbardella
Bashkim Shehu
Iris Parra
Annie Bats
Neus Aguado
Marina Ketlerova