World conference for writers and translators – WALTIC

Stockholm has made a world-first, WALTIC. This stands for Writers and Literary Translators’ International Conference, the first ever. The initiative came from the Swedish Writers’ League and its chairman, poet Mats Söderlund, much of the funding came from the Swedish International Development Agency. Literacy, intercultural dialogue, and digitalisation were the three main themes. An academic component was part of the congress, with Gayatri Spivak as a prominent guest, warning for the dangers of commercialisation and playing for the money, even for such good initiatives as WALTIC.

80 countries were represented in this truly international gathering. Africa was represented by several writers, among them Wangui Wa Goro from Kenya, Tsitsi Dangarembga from Zimbabwe, Mia Couto from Mozambique, and Gcina Mhlope from South Africa, in their own ways, captivating story-tellers. Two African writers present had been encouraged to participate through the Cultural Images programme at NAI: John Eppel from Zimbabwe, and Shailja Patel from Kenya. Shailja Patel read poems, with heart and body, at both the opening ceremony and the closing session. (She will be the 4th guest writer at NAI, from April to June 2009).

WALTIC president Mats Söderlund vowed that at least one more WALTIC will be organised, in 2010.

Mai Palmberg

All photos on this page were taken by Mai Palmberg.