Literally Swiss UK and Pro Helvetia Switzerland are collaborating in the first ever UK-Swiss Publishing Book Fair, a special one-day digital, interactive event. This unique experience will bring together the UK and Swiss publishing industries for a whole day packed with opportunities, discoveries, discussions and showcases. All is free, registration is essential.
The scope of the day is tailor-made to appeal to all facets of the industry. The smorgasbord of events taking place is mouth-watering and horizon-broadening:
• Meet Reina Gehrig, Pro Helvetia’s new Head of Literature;
• Some of the best Swiss-UK translators discuss the ins and outs of the publishing market, give their top tips and pitch the titles they feel passionately about;
• Organisers of three top Swiss literature festivals appear alongside three major UK festival directors to discuss how they have adapted to these Covid times, to share ideas and advise on what they want from authors and publishers;
• Personal presentations from an astounding array of Swiss authors with their latest books including:
• Lukas Bärfuss, Nora Gomringer, Joseph Incardona, Linn Molyneaux, Roland Buti, Anne-Sophie Subilia, Julie Guinand, Dana Grigorcea, Vanni Bianconi, Sibylle Berg, Max Lobe, Martin H. Dean, Simone Lappert, Karl Rühmann, Fabio Andina and Anna Stern, the newly announced winner of this year’s Swiss Book Prize;
• Swiss publishers – adult and children’s, literary and commercial – will partake in the special matchmaking afternoon, introducing their best books to UK publishers.
Rosie Goldsmith, Literally Swiss UK, commented:
“Given the cancellations which have plagued 2020, from London Book Fair to Frankfurt Book Fair, we have painstakingly designed this special mini-book-fair to bring you all together and to unite two industries for a day of insight, information, advice, meetings and – we hope – practical outcomes. You never know what you might discover! We are really excited at the potential this day holds.”
Eva Stensrud, Pro Helvetia:
“Covid-19 might have forced us all into “the home office”– but it didn’t make us stop believing in the power of literature and continuing our work in promoting it! Pro Helvetia has just launched a brand new website www.translateswissbooks.ch and we are as keen as ever to help publishers, translators and festival directors find out about excellent writing from Switzerland and how we can support you in bringing it to Great Britain.”
To sign up, please contact Emma House at emmamhouse@hotmail.co.uk by Wednesday 25th November, or register at https://bit.ly/35tUqic.
For all media enquiries, please contact: Nikki Mander at Mander Barrow PR Ltd at nikki@manderbarrowpr.com; 07813 806297
Spread the word, join in: www.eurolitnetwork.com, @LiterallySwiss, @ProHelvetia
UK-Swiss Publishing Book Fair
Monday 7th December
9.30am-4pm
VIA ZOOM on FACEBOOK
09:30: Opening welcome from Alexandre Fasel, Ambassador of Switzerland to the UK
09.33: Welcome and Introduction to Swiss Publishing, Translation and Promotion grants and the new “Translating Swiss Books” online magazine. Moderator: Rosie Goldsmith. Speakers: Myriam Lang – SBVV (Swiss Publishers Association) and Eva Stensrud – Pro Helvetia (Swiss Arts Council). Special guest: Reina Gehrig (Pro Helvetia’s new Head of Literature).
10.15: An overview of Swiss Literature NOW!
Moderator: Rosie Goldsmith. Speakers: Sean Williams (Swissophile, podcaster, Senior Lecturer German and European Cultural History, Sheffield University); Esther Schneider (Head of Books, Swiss Radio, SRF).
10.45: The Literature Festival 2021 – What are they looking for and how can we help? How has the literary world reinvented the book festival in these circumstances? How can authors and audiences be engaged differently? Moderator: Nikki Mander. Speakers: from the UK – Nick Barley (Edinburgh International Book Festival), Lyndsey Fineran (Cheltenham Literature Festival) and Cathy Moore (Cambridge Literary Festival) and from Switzerland – Anna Schlossbauer (Babel Literature Festival), Fanny Meyer (Morges sur le quai Festival) and Dani Landolfi (Solothurn International Literature Festival).
11.30–13:00: Swiss Authors We’d Like You To Meet
Moderator: Rosie Goldsmith. Speakers: 16 Swiss Authors each talk for 5 minutes about their books (a fun and entertaining session where you meet some of Switzerland’s best authors and hear about their books available for translation).
13:00-15.00: MATCHMAKING
Pre-arranged meetings between Swiss and UK publishers with the aim of selling the translation rights for Swiss Books into English (slots to be allocated, registration essential).
15.00–16.00: Final HURRAH! and translation session
The role of the translator in the publishing process: join a highly qualified group of UK translators well-versed in translating from the Swiss languages as they discuss their experiences in tracking down those key books to translate, pitching to publishers, rights and wrongs, practical tips and final triumphs. They will also present titles they’d love to see published in the UK. Translators include: Jamie Bulloch, Jen Calleja, Clarissa Botsford, Adriana Hunter.
18:00-19:00: Reading soirée
Urs Faes, reads from Twelve Nights, his first book to be published in English. With translator Jamie Lee Searle and Nikki Mander.
Ends
