Nearly 30 years of literary translator training at risk in Slovenia

The future of Prevajalnica, a long-running informal training program for literary translators in Slovenia, is uncertain as the Public Fund for Cultural Activities (JSKD) faces staff and funding shortages.

The multi-day literary translation workshop has been running for nearly three decades and is primarily aimed at emerging translators, final-year secondary school students, foreign-language students, and others interested in literary translation. JSKD is considering changes to the program’s future because of insufficient staff and financial resources.

This year’s workshop itself nearly did not take place. It was made possible after JSKD partnered with the Slovenian Association of Literary Translators (DSKP) through a successful application to the Slovenian Book Agency’s Reading Culture program, which allowed part of the mentors’ fees to be covered.

The 28th edition, titled “Med glasovi in tišino” (“Between Voices and Silence”), was scheduled for Sept. 24–27, 2026, primarily at Tartini House in Piran. Participants will work with contemporary literary texts from eight languages, English, French, German, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Swedish, translating them into Slovenian under the guidance of established translators and academics. The German-language workshop will exceptionally take place in Ljubljana.

Each language group is designed for seven to 12 participants. In addition to collaborative translation work, the program includes literary and musical events, while selected translations produced during the workshops are scheduled to appear in the literary magazine “Mentor” in February 2027.

Some translations produced through Prevajalnica have gone on to be published as books. Since 2006, 20 titles have appeared in JSKD’s “Mentorjeva prevajalnica” series.

The uncertainty surrounding the program has also drawn attention from Slovenia’s professional translation community. In September, DSKP highlighted Prevajalnica’s nearly 30-year tradition and the uncertain future of the program, while drawing attention to the gradual disappearance of informal educational opportunities for literary translators in Slovenia.

The concerns come amid broader pressures on public cultural funding in Slovenia. In July, the Culture Ministry said it had identified an 8.9 million euro shortfall in funding needed to meet statutory and contractual obligations through the end of 2026 and warned that previously approved funding could be reduced as the government prepared a budget revision.

Kovač linked this growth partly to investment in Slovenia’s translation infrastructure. He highlighted Slovenian Book Agency grants for foreign publishers, workshops for translators, and support enabling Slovenian publishers to attend international book fairs and establish contacts with potential rights buyers.

The potential loss of such training comes as Slovenia has substantially expanded the international circulation of its literature. As reported earlier, the Slovenian Book Agency estimated in 2019 that around 100 translations of Slovenian books were published annually. Ahead of Slovenia’s appearance as Guest of Honor at the 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair, curator Miha Kovač said the figure had risen to nearly 200 translations per year, representing around 50 original titles.

Slovenia continues to support literary translation through other initiatives. In the 2026/27 academic year, DSKP is offering professional training focused on translated literature, including an eight-hour program examining artificial intelligence and literary translation in schools and libraries. The association is also preparing its 2026 International Translation Symposium, scheduled for Oct. 16–18 in Ljubljana.

The 28th edition of Prevajalnica took place from Sept. 24–27, 2026, with literary translation workshops in Piran and Ljubljana. Despite the programme’s continuation this year, JSKD and the Slovenian Association of Literary Translators have not publicly announced a long-term funding arrangement or confirmed whether the workshops will return in 2027.

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