Residency Sovre’s Chamber

Residency program of the Slovenian Association of Literary Translators

‘Sovre’s Chamber’

Name of the residency program: Sovre’s Chamber (residency for artists/translators)

Managed by: Slovenian Association of Literary Translators [organizer of the residency program] / Hrastnik Municipality and Hrastnik Cultural and Recreational Center [manager of the premises]

Fields: literary translation (fiction, social sciences, and humanities)

Location/address: Trg borcev NOB 12, 1431 Dol pri Hrastniku, Slovenia

Program description:

The residency for artists/translators Sovre’s Chamber and the residency program for translators were founded in 2020 by the Slovenian Association of Literary Translators (DSKP) in collaboration with the Hrastnik Municipality. The residency is located in the center of Dol pri Hrastniku, in a building originally built in 1850 which has been renovated and is the cultural meeting point of the town. The modern loft apartment had been thoroughly renovated. It is located on the third floor of a building without an elevator and has a floor area of 48.45 m2. It comprises of a hallway, a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, a bedroom and a pantry. The apartment is completely furnished and comes complete with furniture, basic kitchen appliances, and all other necessities. It has wi-fi but not a computer.

The residency can be reached by public transportation by taking the train to Hrastnik and then a bus to Dol pri Hrastniku. Amenities in the vicinity of the apartment include a post office, a store, a restaurant, a café, a bus station, and a cultural place of interest—a small bookstore called ‘the Dragon’s Den’ run by members of the Rast Society which is the meeting point for all who appreciate literature and culture. There are many opportunities for hiking and trekking nearby (such as the Sovre Hiking Trail), the location is very quiet and as such perfect for undisturbed in-depth translation work.

The program is co-financed by the Slovenian Book Agency and open to 4-6 beginner or established translators-in-residence per year translating fiction, social sciences, or humanities from Slovenian into other languages. Residency duration is 4 weeks (1 month). The translators are selected based on an open call. Organizers of the residency provide: free accommodation, end-of-stay cleaning, a local bus ticket, a library card for using the local Anton Sovre Hrastnik library, free entrance to cultural institutions and sports activities, as well as a one-time payment for participation and a flat-rate sum for the travel expenses. The residency is intended for independent, individual translation work.

In 2022, the residency was opened also to all Slovenian literary translators who are asked to pay a token contribution for covering the utilities expense; members of the DSKP have priority over non-members. This if the first and (so far) the only translators’ residency of the Slovenian Association of Literary Translators available throughout the year for translators-in-residence. The residency apartment was named Sovre’s Chamber after Anton Sovre, a renowned linguist and translator from classical languages born in Šavna Peč, close to Dol pri Hrastniku. This area is very closely connected to Anton Sovre’s legacy, with Hrastnik boasting the Anton Sovre Hrastnik library where translators-in-residence present themselves and their work in cooperation with the library and the DSKP; there’s Sovre Hiking Trail, the only hiking trail in Slovenia named after a translator; and there’s the traditional Sovre Hike organized by several cultural and tourist organizations in Hrastnik which is held on the first Saturday in October of each year.

Translators-in-residence:

October 2022: Tatiana Zharova (Russia)

September 2022: Lenka Kuhar Daňhelová and Peter Kuhar (Czech Republic)

August 2022: Ivanka Apostolva (North Macedonia)

July 2022: Alena Talapila (Belorussia)

June 2022: Viktoriia Imagulova (Russia)

November/December 2021 and Maj 2022: Zsolt Lukács (Hungary)

September 2021: Davor Stojanovski (North Macedonia)

July 2021: Božidar Brezinščak Bagola (Croatia)

June 2021: Sebastian Walcher (Austria)

 

Photos of the residency

Promo-Video with English subtitles:

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