Balkan Stories: Dracula and Frank Sinatra’s greatest hit
More than a local story: the seven basic plots Overcoming the Monster: The protagonist sets out to defeat an antagonistic force Rags to Riches: The poor protagonist acquires things such as power, wealth, and a mate, before losing it all and gaining it back upon growing as a person. The Quest: The protagonist and some companions set out to acquire an important object or to get to a location, facing many obstacles and temptations along the way. Voyage and Return: The protagonist goes to a strange land and, after overcoming the threats it poses to him or her, returns with nothing but experience. Comedy: Light and humorous character with a happy or cheerful ending. Tragedy: The protagonist is a hero with one major character flaw or great mistake which is ultimately their undoing. Rebirth: During the course of the story, an important event forces the main character to change their ways, often making them a better person.
The miracle of translation “The only thing on which we can judge Šehić is Firth’s translation, which is crisp, lyrical, and very accessible even to those with limited knowledge of the region, its history and its culture. To take a text which is so distant, and to render it into something so tangible seems faintly miraculous.” TodayTranslations Translating Tales of Bosnia: Faruk Šehić's 'Quiet Flows the Una’, 6 April 2016, Joe Cock
Marketing – what to emphasize Concentrate on themes that cross borders Remember to highlight the local for the readers Use your authors as an asset Tap into anniversaries Use all media! Join forces
Case study: Quiet Flows the Una Quiet Flows the Una is the story a man trying to overcome the personal trauma caused by the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Through an induced trance, the main character of the novel takes the reader through three time periods: the hero’s childhood before the war, the battle lines during the war, and his attempt to continue with normal life in a post-conflict society. Through poetic, meditative prose, Šehić attempts to reconstruct the life of a man who is bipolar in nature; being both a veteran and a poet. At times, he manages to pick up the pieces of his life, but at other times it escapes him. With the help of his memories, he uses his mind and strength to look for a way out of the maze in which he is confined, acting as both archivist and chronicler of the past - roles that allow him the opportunity to rebuild everything again. In parallel to this story, the book’s passages on the city next to the river Una take on mythical and dreamlike dimensions. Here, the novel expands into a poetic description of nature, seasons, flora and fauna, as well as childhood memories not yet tainted by all that will happen after 1992. Quiet Flows the Una is a book is dedicated to people who believe in the power and beauty of life in the face of death and mass destruction.
Lessons learnt Trust your instincts Use mother-tongue proof-readers and copy-editors (preferably mono-lingual) The translator must also be a writer The editor must also be a cultural ambassador Domesticate if need be
Some concrete examples: