During Belarusian-Swedish Literary Days in Vilnius (Lithuania) I took part in the festival events and met activists, writers, translators and historians whose works could be interesting for Ukrainian readers. Among these persond are Uladzimir Arlou, Andrej Kotljarchuk, Maria Söderberg, Stefan Ericsson, Cecilia Ruthström-Ruin, Anita Jacobson, Nastya Matsevich, Uladz Liankevich, Arkadij Babtjenko, Zmitser Vajtsiusjkevitj, Dmitri Plax, Uladzimir Niakliaeu, Athena Farrokhzad and others. We had a numerous ocassions to share personal visions on international cultural contacts and to plan exchanges in the nearest future. Among the decisions that was made are publishing of several books in Ukraine that will uncover contemporary literature of Sweden with its multiculturality, common seeking for financial support for publishing Belarusian literature to prevent censorship and language discrimination, publishing examples of Belarusian literature in Ukrainian translation. I’ve discussed the translations into Ukrainian of works by poets present at the festival and their participation in some literature events in Ukraine. Writers I’ve talked with are Uladzimir Arlou, Nastya Matsevich, Uladz Liankevich, Dmitri Plax, Athena Farrokhzad. My offer of Ukrainian book titles for translating and presenting in Luthuania, Sweden and Belarus was interesting for former Ambassador of Sweden in Belarus Stefan Ericsson, current Ambassador of Sweden in Lithuania Cecilia Ruthström-Ruin, well-known cultural manager Maria Söderberg and others. The negotiation with famous writer and politician Uladzimir Niakliaeu was very successful, as a pilot plan for several events and translational project was made due to the current social and cultural situation in Belarus and Ukraine. During meetings I had a opportunity to share the information and some broshures about Book Platform project.
This trip was important for from different points of veiw. First of all, this was an opportunity to establish important for my literary and business development connections that can predetermine my future work as a writer and a publisher. Cultural crossroads I work on are expecially distinct and important at such kind of events. The Swedish-Belarusian-Ukrainian-Lithuanian-Polish intercultural exchange made the cultural climate of the region we use to live in. To undertand the obscured from the today’s man eye roots and paths we have to actualise the role of the Swedish and Belarusian (Lithuanian) cultural systems in the history of the whole North and Eastern Europe, especially The Great Duchy of Lithuania. The business benefits of the negotiations I’ve provided I can’t describe in the details, but have to underscore the main points: making the Ukranian-Swedish collaboration more wide and deep; establishing more intensive Ukrainian-Belarusian collaboration, especially in translational projects; more intensive work on non-profit project for promoting Ukrainian and Belarusian literature abroad. For me personally this trip was an opening of big conglomerate of cultures, languages and people. I’ve visited the main historical places in Vilnius and met great people there (pic 003). Thanks to main manager of this event Maria Söderberg my work as a participator of the festival was successful. I highly appreciate the support for this professional trip received from Book Platform.
This event was supported by the Book Platform project funded by the European Union and implemented in the frames of the Eastern Partnership Culture Programme