When: Tuesday 29 September 2026, 7.30 pm
Where: ocelot, not just another bookstore, Brunnenstraße 181, 10119 Berlin
In 2026, the Czech Republic will be the guest of honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair. But who actually reads Czech works in the original? Without literary translators, there would be no world literature – in keeping with a long-standing Ocelot tradition, we are therefore inviting translators on International Translators’ Day to introduce us to the literary landscape of the guest country, to give us an insight into the peculiarities of its language, and to help us gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they face when engaging with selected new publications, the authors, their mother tongue and foreign languages, and in finding their own voices – for ultimately, all of this helps shape our view of a country.
Eva Profousová was born in Prague and fled Czechoslovakia for Hamburg at the age of 20 with no prospect of returning. After studying Slavic Studies and History, she soon began translating – at that time still considered a no-go – into German, a foreign language. Since then, she has made great authors from her country of origin, such as Václav Havel, Karel Čapek, Jáchym Topol and Radka Denemarková, accessible to a German audience. For her translations she has received numerous awards. In addition, she curates and hosts festivals, reading series and literary events, and performs as a reader. At Ocelot, she will take us on a journey through her work on Radka Denemarková’s sweeping novel Schokoladenblut (orig. Čokoládová krev, EN: Chocolate blood, Hoffmann und Campe) – through a reading and discussion – exploring writing as an act of resistance in a world of capital, nation and self-censorship.
Barbora Schnelle was born in Brno; she is a theatre researcher and critic, cultural manager and editor, co-founder of Drama Panorama and, above all, an expert in the translation of texts that often consist solely of dialogue: plays, surtitles and comics. She translates both into Czech (e.g. plays by Elfriede Jelinek, Sivan Ben Yishai and Werner Schwab) and into German (e.g. works by Roman Sikora, Anna Saavedra and Tomáš Dianiška). What adaptations are necessary to ensure a text becomes ‘speakable’ in another language and has a ‘performative’ effect? What are the specific challenges of translating for stage productions, and what about works aimed at young audiences? How does one find texts that absolutely ought to cross borders? She will discuss these and many other topics, drawing on the moving, award-winning graphic novel Weder Junge noch Mädchen (orig. Ani holka, ani kluk, EN: Neither Boy nor Girl) by Marita Kelbl and the play Schloss an der Loire (orig. Zámek na Loiře, EN: Castle on the Loire) by Roman Sikora.
Claudia Hamm has been hosting the St Jerome’s Day at the Ocelot for many years. She is the author of essays, plays and prose; has been translating the works of Emmanuel Carrère for 16 years, as well as books by Yasmina Reza, Joseph Andras, Édouard Levé and Mathias Énard; and has herself worked for many years as a director and dramaturg in theatres across the German-speaking world, France and Italy.
An event organised by Weltlesebühne e.V. in collaboration with the Institute for Slavic and Hungarian Studies at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
Tickets: In-store or via Eventim.
Price: €10.00 (concession €6.00)*
*The reduced price applies to anyone for whom the standard price is a barrier (e.g. students, apprentices or people on a low income). We rely on you to assess this for yourself.