FILI’s International Joint Projects, 2011-2014

 

Since 2001 FILI has been involved in numerous international joint projects. Between 2005 and 2010, FILI’s activities have ranged from expanding the export of children’s literature to developing a virtual literature portal to participating as the focus country for Europe’s German-language cultural houses in 2010.

 

 

Taivex (Senior Management Exchange) 2009-2013

 

 

TAIVEX exchange training is a nation-wide ESR (ESF – European Social Fund) project to

• provide an exchange training program tailored for producers, managers, agents, gallerists, and others who act as cultural intermediaries

• to promote the export and internationalisation of Finnish arts

• to deepen international contacts, shared networks and marketing know-how in the varied artistic fields

TAIVEX exchange training involves a wide range of experts in various fields. The Theatre Information Centre and the HSE (Small Business Centre) coordinates the project. The Dance Information Centre, Circus Information Centre, the Art Council and FILI - Finnish Literature Information Centre are project partners. Other partners include Helsinki, Tampere and Turku city cultural programs, which also provide funding for the project.

 

 

Literature Across Frontiers, 2009-2013

 

Literature Across Frontiers (LAF) is a joint project, coordinated by a number of European literature centres, whose purpose it to promote the translation of literature into smaller languages. The project involves an array of joint seminars, conferences and author visits to international literary events. Translators and authors have the opportunity to participate in a residency in various countries. In 2010 and 2013, LAF’s joint projects will focus also on the Mediterranean region.

 

The online, trilingual literary magazine Transcript is published six times a year as part of the LAF project.

 

Read more about LAF

 

 

The Nordic countries guests of honour at the Paris Salon du Livre Book Fair 2011

 

The Nordic countries have been invited to the 2011 Paris book fair as guests of honour. The joint project will be coordinated by FILI and led by Iris Schwanck. More than 60 Nordic writers will be appearing at the fair in conjunction with organised translator’s seminars as well as the first cultural forum of Finland’s Nordic Council of Ministers' Presidency. The project is part of the Nordic Council of Ministers Norden i världen-globalization agenda.

 

 

Finland as a theme country at the 2014 Frankfurt Book Fair

 

Finland has been invited as the theme country to the 2014 Frankfurt Book Fair. FILI will be responsible for coordinating the project. Minister Stefan Wallin has established an expert group for the project with Director General Riitta Kaivosoja as its chair. The steering committee chosen by the SKS Board of Directors will be led by General-Secretary Tuomas M. S. Lehtonen and its members are Managing Director Jaakko Tapaninen, Project Manager Nina Paavolainen, and Director Iris Schwanck. Preparations for the theme country project will include translator training and publisher’s visits.

 

 

Comics for the World

 

The diversity and dynamism of Finnish comics is attracting ever more attention around the world. This project will arrange visits by comics publishers to Finland, provide funding for translation and printing of comics, collaborate on international comics exhibitions and present Finnish comics at international book fairs.

 

 

Non-Fiction for the World

 

This project will facilitate international publishers’ visits to Finland, provide training for Finnish non-fiction publishers, and present Finnish non-fiction at international book fairs.

 

 

Past Projects

 

FILI’s previous international projects have included collaborations with Culture 2000 and Karawane – Culture on the Move, a project promoting the exchange of literature for children and young people between Iran and the EU countries. Ten Finnish writers visited Iran as part of the project between 2004 and 2006.

 

From 2005-2008, FILI carried out the special project From Moomin Valley to Austrasia: Stars of Finnish Literature for Children and Young People, which included translators’ seminars, publishers’ visits, and international events.

 

Other joint projects have included

• a Finnish-African poetry workshop organised jointly in Benin and Helsinki (a Unesco pilot project from 2004-2006)

• Network North, a Nordic literature translation project (2001 to 2003)

• the Virtual Society of Literature, an online network supporting literary translation around the globe

• a programme of Finnish-themed events at the Gothenburg Book Fair involving 50 author presentations

• 100% Finlande, a joint project with France (2008)

• Kaksinkertainen - Finland as a theme country in the German-language culture houses of Europe (2010)