I am already 26. Am I eligible to enter the competition?
As long as you do not turn 27 before the application deadline, you are eligible to enter.
For the application deadline of 4 April 2020, when should the source texts have been published?
The source texts should have been published on 3 April 2017 at the earliest, three years before the deadline.
Should the work to have been published in translation on the Macedonian market?
The work should not have been published in translation in the target language in which you translate, on the Macedonian market or abroad.
If the source text is in Spanish, should the author be from Spain or could they come from Latin America, for instance?
The author’s country of origin is irrelevant. What is important is for the work to have been originally published in an EU member country, in one of the Union’s official languages.
Should the work be published in the EU?
Yes.
May we use translator’s note?
Of course, but make sure that you do not draw the attention away from the main text with too many explanations and not to use the notes to justify your translation solutions. Let the translation speak for itself.
Should somebody proofread the text before entering it into the competition?
It is not compulsory; it is the personal choice of the entrant, who is then responsible for the translated text as a whole. If you decide to have it proofread, you may enter the text as a collaborative work with your proofreader, who must meet the competition criteria and be included in the application form.
I have excellent mastery of Spanish, I have an international certificate, but I am not a court-certified translator. Do I meet the entrance criteria or is the competition open only to certain groups of translators?
The competition is not limited to any single category of translators. The only limitation is the entrants’ age and the source and target languages.
Is there a list of source texts from which the translator is supposed to choose a text to translate?
No, there is no such a list. The entrants may choose any source work that meets the competition criteria.
Is there a website where I can check whether the work has already been translated into Macedonian?
Yes, you can find every work published in the country, in any language, in the Macedonian libraries’ shared digital catalogue: јазик: https://plus.mk.cobiss.net/opac7/bib/search?q&db=cobib&mat=allmaterials. There are similar catalogues in some of our neighbouring countries, such as Serbia and Albania, for instance.
How can I check whether the work has originally been published in the European Union, considering the fact that the author may come from a country outside of the Union?
The information on the place, as well as the year of publication, and the edition, can be found in every book’s impressum. Even if you do not have access to a copy, a quick internet search can easily lead you to that information. In digital catalogues, such as publishers’ catalogues, for instance, there are often book previews, which commonly include the impressum. The source text should be original published in the EU in the last three years. Additionally, if the author, regardless of their country of origin, lives and works in an EU member country, chances are that the work will meet the required criteria.
Do translation rights have any impact on the entry, or on the publication of the award-winning texts?
Translating a short excerpt from a text for competition purposes is not subject to copyright since most received entries will not be published. As far as the award-winning translations are concerned, the Kulturen život magazine will make sure that there is no breach of translation rights during publication, in accordance with the appropriate regulations.
May I enter a translation of a whole book, such as a hundred-page novel? Is there a limit to the length of the entry?
The entered translation should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words in length. If you enter a whole book, the committees will only consider and asses and excerpt of the required length.
Which documents do I need in order to enter the competition?
In addition to copies of the source text and of the translation, using a five-character code, you need to send us a filled-in application form, a motivation letter, and a copy of your ID to the following email: Babyloncompetition@euhouse.mk. You can find more detailed explanations on the application procedure on How to Apply.
When should I send my application in order to enter the competition?
The application, with all the accompanying documents, need to be sent on the deadline at the latest, which every year is on the first workday in April.
How is responsible for receiving the entries?
The EU Delegation in Skopje is responsible for receiving the entries.
How late will entries be accepted?
All entries that arrive by 11:59 pm on the deadline will be accepted.
What should the motivation letter contain and how long should it be?
It is recommended that the motivation letters not be more than two pages wrong, but that requirement is not too strict. What is more important to us is to hear your voice in it, so we ask you to relate to us, in your own words, what inspired you to enter the competition and why with the particular texts of your choice.
Considering the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, what sort of literary works in English may I choose as source texts?
Literary works in English originally published in the Republic of Ireland or Malta, for instance. As long as the works was originally published in an EU member state, it qualifies as a source text for the competition.