CELA

Connecting Emerging Literary Artists (CELA) is an international talent development project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the EU. It is a 4-year project that connects emerging translators from 11 European countries (10 languages) with emerging writers through masterclasses, sample translations, mentorship, presentations and live meetings. CELA aims to offer literary artists from small language markets in Europe a level playing field to establish an international career, reach an international audience and develop their professional skills.

Start of the project

CELA offers emerging writers, translators, literary professionals, and literary organisations a two-year trajectory of training, tools and network with the aim of facilitating an international career and building a combined professional practice.

Photo: Verónica Paulo

The Book Arsenal team is participating in the third iteration of the CELA program: from September 2024 to June 2027. Together with teams from:

• Spain
• Italy
• the Czech Republic
• Poland
• the Netherlands
• Serbia
• Slovenia
• Romania
• Bulgaria

 The opportunities that will be available to the project participants:

• paid assignments on translation of 6 sample (prose) texts from emerging authors into Ukrainian;
• publication of these translations on the CELA website and other literary platforms across Europe;
• 4 international online masterclasses on the topics relevant to professional growth;
• mentorship program: participants will work with an established translator in the same language direction and with a literary consultant;
• development of a professional tool set for communication, including a photography and artist bio;
• 2 live meetings in Kyiv with the Ukrainian team of the project;
• 2 work weeks within the project. In Turin (Italy) and in Brussels (Belgium);
• 2 visits to a literary festival in the country of your target language;
• paid and mentored pitch session for (at least) one of your authors;
• connection to an international network, communication and discussions with more than 300 European writers and translators.

Participants and mentors of the program from the Ukrainian team

The CELA project is a training program for translators and a joint international experience with colleagues, also translators, from 11 European participating countries. One of the important components of this extensive process is the support from mentors in the professional development throughout the whole duration of the project. Each of the translators of the Ukrainian team will be accompanied by a mentor-translator in the chosen language direction.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.