CREATING NEIGHBOURHOOD: Encouraging Exchange and Building Bridges Through Translated Children's Literature

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CREATING NEIGHBOURHOOD is a project aimed at promoting cultural understanding and diversity through the translation and distribution of high-quality children's books from and through Europe. Our primary goal is to translate and promote ten contemporary picture books from non-German-speaking EU countries surrounding Austria, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia. These books will showcase diverse characters and society and cover relevant topics such as inclusion, gender equality, and the environment. ACHSE Verlag, a Vienna-based publishing house specializing in children's books, is spearheading this initiative to establish a literary neighbourhood with our European neighbours. The selected books will be made available in the German-speaking market (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) and promoted through live events and supplemental materials for children, parents, and opinion leaders. Our project is not just about translating books; it's also about building connections and promoting collaboration between individuals and organizations from different backgrounds and cultures. We aim to establish a strong network of book professionals through personal meetings and events in each participating country, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. By undertaking this project, we hope to strengthen the transnational circulation and diversity of European books and raise awareness of the cultural understanding between literary neighbours. CREATING NEIGHBOURHOOD sees translation as a way to create connections, unite competencies, and build bridges between people across borders.