SINT MAARTEN/THE NETHERLANDS - Shortly after attending the Dutch Translation Days in Antwerp at the end of June, Loekie Morales—author, translator, storyteller, and chair of the Beyond Kultura Events Foundation—visited the ‘Translators' House in Amsterdam.
Her goal was to gain a better understanding of the concept behind this institution. The Dutch Caribbean, with its unique atmosphere, could also serve as an excellent location to host foreign authors and translators—particularly those creating or translating literary works about our region.
The Amsterdam Translators’ House was established in 1991 and is a member of RECIT, the European network of translators’ houses. It operates under the auspices of the Dutch Foundation for Literature. The House is dedicated to the professional development and talent cultivation of literary translators working from Dutch.
It provides ongoing accommodation for five translators of Dutch literature from various parts of the world, working across all genres. Translators can stay at the House for periods ranging from a minimum of two weeks to a maximum of two months, allowing them to work, expand their networks, and immerse themselves in Dutch language and culture.
In addition, the Foundation for Literature organizes translation workshops—both in the Netherlands and abroad—and events centered on literary translation, such as the annual Literary Translation Days and the talent development program *The Chronicles*.
Translators can apply to the Dutch Foundation for Literature for a residency grant and a contribution towards travel expenses. To be eligible for a residency, translators must hold a contract to translate a Dutch-language literary work.
The Amsterdam Translators’ House is located in Amsterdam-Zuid, just a stone’s throw from Vondelpark, the Concertgebouw, and the three major museums: the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Stedelijk Museum. It offers a quiet, inspiring environment for a stay when you need to focus on the work to be published.
In principle, a residency at ‘the Amsterdam Translators’ House is intended for translators included on the lists of accredited translators from Dutch maintained by Literature Flanders and the Dutch Foundation for Literature.
Translators who are not yet accredited but have distinguished themselves through a positively evaluated sample translation may be personally invited by the Dutch Foundation for Literature to apply for a residency at the Translators’ House. They, too, are eligible for a residency, provided they work on a relevant translation project while there. In this way, the Dutch Foundation for Literature hopes to support, inspire, and motivate new, young, and talented literary translators working from Dutch.
The renovated ‘Translators House’ in Amsterdam opened on June 21, 2023. Machteld de Vries, a staff member, gave Loekie Morales a tour of the premises. The five rooms in the Translators’ House are equipped with a computer with internet access and an office chair; one of the rooms is wheelchair-accessible. A large workshop space—which also serves as a library containing both literature and reference works—is located on the ground floor and in the basement. On the first floor, there is a communal kitchen with a conservatory and a terrace.
‘The great thing is the wonderful atmosphere. Creatively minded translators from different parts of the world cross paths and cross-pollinate ideas. Translators can not only work on a translation with deep concentration for a period of time but also meet colleagues, their authors, or publishers, expand their networks, and immerse themselves in Dutch language and culture.
Each room is decorated in a cozy, thematic style and named after classic authors from the Dutch-speaking world—such as Anton de Kom, Andreas Burnier (her old typewriter adorns one of the tables), Annie M.G. Schmidt & illustrator Fiep Westendorp, Hella S. Haasse, and Willem Frederik Hermans,’ notes Morales.
The Amsterdam Translators’ House is a member of RECIT, the European network of translators’ houses. See www.re-cit.org
The Dutch Foundation for Literature supports literature in Dutch, Frisian, Papiamento, and Dutch Sign Language. Literary creators, translators, and organizations from the Caribbean part of the Kingdom can apply for grants—for instance, for reading promotion activities, translations of literary works, travel expenses, and stays at a translators' house.
Visit the ‘Discover’ section at www.letterenfonds.nl or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
