Literature Evening: Words Without Borders

We hosted a wonderful "Literature Evening: Words Without Borders" event organized in collaboration with the Consulate General of the Republic of Slovenia. 

After welcome remarks from our president, Dominik Šmajgl, and vice-president Ana Tori, the Consul General of the Republic of Slovenia, Maša Šiftar, thanked to all organizers and participants, including the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad, the Center for Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language and the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. 

The panel discussion featured writer and literary critic Tina Vrščaj, one of five recipients of the 2024 European Union Prize for Literature, alongside Austrian translator and literary specialist Dr. Erwin Köstler, and moderator Slavo Šerc, a translator and essayist. They explored the significance of their work in promoting the Slovenian language and literature, while examining contemporary writing trends and modern societal issues through Tina's novel "Na Klancu." 

Between 1780 and World War II, only 29 Slovenian books were translated into German. This trend has dramatically changed since then — Dr. Erwin Köstler alone has translated more than fifty works by Slovenian authors, an achievement for which he received a Medal of Merit from the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Nataša Pirc Musar. 

Members of the BSG Executive Board, together with the Consul General of the Republic of Slovenia, Maša Šiftar, as well as Tina Vrščaj, Dr. Erwin Köstler, and Slavo Šerc.

Once again, we want to thank our guests, and we are very happy for everyone who joined us in this engaging evening.