German translation summer school has started! 24.08.2026
Today, the Summer School for emerging translators of German-language literature from across Poland began at Villa Decius. This is the second edition of the school, which we are delighted to co-create with the Goethe-Institut, under the patronage of the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation, as part of the Litrix.de project promoting the translation of German-language literature into Polish. The Summer School is an opportunity to develop translation skills and meet acclaimed translators, editors and literary scholars. As a place of encounter, Villa Decius creates a space for dialogue – bringing together emerging and experienced translators from different generations and backgrounds, with translation becoming a tool for mutual understanding at the intersection of languages and cultures.
Four days of workshops lie ahead. Participants will take part in literary translation classes led by Ryszard Turczyn, whose translation work in German and Dutch literature has received numerous distinctions. He was awarded the Karl Dedecius Prize in 2011 and is an honorary member of the Association of Literary Translators. His workshops will focus on fiction and non-fiction.
Małgorzata Słabicka-Turpeinen, a translator involved in numerous intercultural and translation projects and a jury member of the translation competition at the International Short Story Festival (2021), will introduce participants to the world of children’s and young adult literature and comics.
The young translators will also have the opportunity to take part in workshops led by Andreas Volk, an acclaimed translator of contemporary Polish literature into German. In 2022, he received the Karl Dedecius Prize for his contribution to the translation of dramatic works. He is known for translating plays by Krzysztof Warlikowski, Małgorzata Sikorska-Miszczuk and Krystian Lupa, and also works with poetry and prose. His connection with Villa Decius goes back many years: he served as editor of the German-language section of Radar, the Institute’s trilingual magazine.
Participants will also have the opportunity to discuss the practical aspects of the translator’s profession with specialists. During sessions led by Tomasz Kwiecień and Dagmara Małysza, they will explore different aspects of working within a publishing house and the relationships between translators, publishers and editors.
Tomasz Kwiecień is a highly regarded literary translator working with both literary and popular fiction. He was a finalist for the Ryszard Kapuściński Award in 2025 and was recognised by Książki literary magazine, among others, for his translation of Umberto Eco.
Dagmara Małysza is a commissioning editor at Krakow-based Wydawnictwo Otwarte. During last year’s edition of the Summer School, she led a panel entitled: “Is it worth picking a fight with your editor, and why?”
We wish all the participants a fruitful and inspiring time – and keep our fingers crossed for the next generation of translators!
Małgorzata Słabicka-Turpeinen, a translator involved in numerous intercultural and translation projects and a jury member of the translation competition at the International Short Story Festival (2021), will introduce participants to the world of children’s and young adult literature and comics.
The young translators will also have the opportunity to take part in workshops led by Andreas Volk, an acclaimed translator of contemporary Polish literature into German. In 2022, he received the Karl Dedecius Prize for his contribution to the translation of dramatic works. He is known for translating plays by Krzysztof Warlikowski, Małgorzata Sikorska-Miszczuk and Krystian Lupa, and also works with poetry and prose. His connection with Villa Decius goes back many years: he served as editor of the German-language section of Radar, the Institute’s trilingual magazine.
Participants will also have the opportunity to discuss the practical aspects of the translator’s profession with specialists. During sessions led by Tomasz Kwiecień and Dagmara Małysza, they will explore different aspects of working within a publishing house and the relationships between translators, publishers and editors.
Tomasz Kwiecień is a highly regarded literary translator working with both literary and popular fiction. He was a finalist for the Ryszard Kapuściński Award in 2025 and was recognised by Książki literary magazine, among others, for his translation of Umberto Eco.
Dagmara Małysza is a commissioning editor at Krakow-based Wydawnictwo Otwarte. During last year’s edition of the Summer School, she led a panel entitled: “Is it worth picking a fight with your editor, and why?”
We wish all the participants a fruitful and inspiring time – and keep our fingers crossed for the next generation of translators!