Call to select international translators to study basque Language in the Basque Country

Concluded

Goal of the convocation

The goal of this convocation is to select eight foreign literary translators to come to the Basque Country and do intensive Basque-language courses.

General outline of the stays

Eight international literary translators will be selected in total. Of those, four will complete an extended six-month stay in the Basque Country in order to do an intensive Basque-language course. The objective of this project would be for them to achieve sufficient linguistic proficiency to be able to use Basque, too, as either a pivot or source language for their future translations. The remaining four will complete a short one-month stay in the Basque Country in order to improve a previously obtained level of Basque (A1, A2 or B1).

If possible, those eight translators will undertake the stay together. The dates will be finalised amongst all of them, but always within a timeframe beginning during the first fortnight in September 2015 and finishing at the end of June 2016.

Whether as regards the long-term or short-term stay, the translators will do the intensive course in a barnetegi or boarding school for adult learners of Basque, according to each one’s level of proficiency.

The four translators who will complete the long-term stay will receive a grant to translate a Basque literary work into a language other than Spanish and look for a publisher.

Application deadline: 2015/04/14 - 2015/05/14
Contact: Kizkitza Galartza | k-galartza@etxepare.eus

Goal of the convocation

The goal of this convocation is to select eight foreign literary translators to come to the Basque Country and do intensive Basque-language courses.

General outline of the stays

The four translators who will complete the long-term stay will receive a grant to translate a Basque literary work into a language other than Spanish and look for a publisher.

Economic resources

The Etxepare Basque Institute will be responsible for the cost of the stay at the barnetegi (classes, board and lodging) as well as the return-trip to the Basque Country, for both the long-term stay and the short-term stay. Those payments will be made through the agreement signed with the Donostia-San Sebastián 2016 Foundation.

In the case of those completing the longer stay, the translators will receive up to a maximum of three thousand five hundred (3,500) euros in order to translate a Basque literary work into a language other than Spanish and look for a publisher. That amount includes the five hundred euros (€500) already received for the administrative work undertaken in publishing the work mentioned in the obligations section.

That being the maximum amount, the specific figure received by the translator will be calculated according to the following rates:

When the difficulty level of the text is estimated to be basic, 0.011 euro per character, no spaces, calculating from the original.
When the text is poetry or in the event of an especially high difficulty level, 0.017 euros per character, no spaces, calculating from the original.

In this section, the translators will be responsible for any other unforeseen costs.

Conditions the candidates must fulfil

Not possessing any incapacity that would prevent them from being able to complete a stay in the Basque Country, whether legally, on health grounds or because of any other reason. They will attest to this by signing a sworn declaration (appendix II).

Fulfilling the conditions to obtain a visa to be able to undertake a long-term stay in the Spanish state and acquiring that visa for a fixed period of time. The candidates themselves will be responsible for all the work and costs involved in attaining the visa.

Deadline and place for presenting applications

The deadline for applications will be one month, and will therefore end on 14 May. The application (appendix I), sworn declaration (appendix II) and documentation can thus be presented:

At the Etxepare Basque Institute office: Prim Street, 7, 2006 Donostia-San Sebastián, between 8.30 am and 2 pm.
At any Basque Government “Zuzenean” office.
By registered post (Prim kalea 7. 20006 Donostia).

The appendixes will be available via www.etxepare.eus.

Obligatory documents to be presented

In the case of translators wanting to do the long-term stay:

The corresponding application and appendixes.
A photocopy of their national ID card or passport.
A Curriculum Vitae. All merits cited by candidates must be verifiable by means of certificates and shall be thus confirmed, should the selection committee request it. The maximum length of this should be two pages.
The translation project that they would like to carry out in the future, bearing in mind the following points: the objectives to be fulfilled and the motivation behind the project; the contribution that could be made; a summary of the project in English. This will be up to a maximum of five pages (in double-spaced 12-point Arial font). At the time of application, this project will be just an idea, but prior to the end of the stay a detailed translation project must be presented (by means of a contract obtained with a publishing house).

In the case of translators wanting to do the short-term stay:

The corresponding application and appendixes.
A photocopy of their national ID card or passport.
A Curriculum Vitae. All abilities cited by candidates must be verifiable by means of certificates and shall be thus confirmed, should the selection committee request it. The maximum length of this should be two pages.
A document verifying their Basque-language level.
Letter of motivation.

Selection criteria

Selection of the candidates will be carried out according to the following standards:

In the case of those who will undertake the long-term stay, a maximum of 100 points are obtainable, divided up in the following way:

The Curriculum Vitae: maximum, 40 points.
The following will be taken into account in the CV: experience as a translator, familiarity with literary translations, acquaintance with Basque culture to date.
Project presented or translation work to be developed: maximum, 30 points.
The following points will be valued positively in the project: the motivation to do the translation, the quality and significance of the project chosen, the viability of the translation, the contacts made to publish the translation, the publisher’s experience and reputation.
Sufficient knowledge of other languages so as to be able to use them as pivot languages: maximum, 20 points.
Any other merits: maximum, 10 points.

In the case of those who will undertake the short-term stay, a maximum of 100 points are obtainable, divided up in the following way:

The Curriculum Vitae: maximum, 50 points.
The following will be taken into account in the CV: experience as a translator, familiarity with literary translations, acquaintance with Basque culture to date.
Level of Basque and motivation to improve this: maximum, 20 points.
Sufficient knowledge of other languages so as to be able to use them as pivot languages: maximum, 20 points.
Any other merits, maximum 10 points.

List of those accepted and rejected

After confirming that the candidates’ profiles meet the stipulated conditions, a provisional list of those accepted and rejected to take part in the grant convocation will be published on the DSS2016EU and EBI website, explaining specifically the reasons for those rejected. Those rejected will have five calendar days to present any complaints.

Once a ruling has been passed on any corresponding complaints, a provisional list of those accepted and rejected to take part in the grant convocation will be published on the DSS2016EU and EBI website, explaining specifically the reasons for those rejected.

After examining the provisional list and taking in to consideration the evaluation criteria, the selection committee will propose eight candidates.

This resolution will be published at these addresses: www.dss2016.eu and www.etxepare.eus

Obligations of the translators selected

For both the long-term and short-term stays:

Agreeing to take part in the stays. Within ten days of publication of the people selected, those selected must specifically acknowledge in writing their participation in the stays and their fulfilment of the conditions for the stays. If they do not do this, it will be inferred that they have declined. Once they have received full confirmation, the people selected will decide on the dates amongst themselves.
Once the dates have been agreed on with the Etxepare Basque Institute and the other selected people, undertaking the stay at a barnetegi in the Basque Country.
Immersing themselves in the study process offered in the barnetegi and taking part in the classes and activities there.
During the course of the stay, taking part in at least one event within the activities that will be organised by cultural centres and schools in Donostia-San Sebastián.
Taking part in a translators’ workshop to be organised by the EIZIE association (Association of Translators, Correctors and Interpreters of Basque Language), with the collaboration of the Etxepare Basque Institute and DSS2016EU.
At the invitation of either DSS2016EU or the Etxepare Basque Institute, taking part in presentation events they deem appropriate.
Providing any information requested by either DSS2016EU or the Etxepare Basque Institute regarding their project or stay.

In the case of those undertaking the long-term stay:

As the course of the Basque learning process develops or following the conclusion of the stay, to translate a Basque literary work into a language other than Spanish and preparing a publishing project in the corresponding country for that work.
In order to guarantee that what is at the outset just an idea comes to fruition, the translator will have to present a signed contract with a publishing house.
If it is perceived, by the end of 2016, that this publication will not been carried out, the translator will not receive the amount stipulated in section 3, but he or she will receive the amount of 500 euros for the administrative work undertaken, following the presentation of a short, two-page report on that administrative work undertaken.
The translation work must be published by 15 December, 2017.
All rights of the works published following these stays will remain with the authors of the original works, but in publicizing them it will be explicitly stated that they are the result of a stay promoted by DSS2016EU and the EBI. In the event of them being published, that will be expressed by means of logos.

Payment for the project

Payments relating to the translation project will be made to the translators taking part in a stay in the following way:

That part corresponding to the administration of the project, five hundred (500) euros, within a period of one month after receiving an explanation of the administrative work done towards publishing the work.
The amount corresponding to the translation will be divided up as follows: once it has been confirmed that the translation work will be published by means of a contract with a publishing house, 75% of the total payment according to the specified rates. The final part, 25% of the amount, will be paid within a period of one month following publication of the translation.

Non-fulfilment

In the event that a person selected, once they have acknowledged in writing their participation in the stays and specific agreement to meet the obligations therein, do not undertake the stay, that person must return the full amount of money received to cover any costs from the Etxepare Basque Institute to that moment to the Institute

This text is a summary of the resolution published in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country, the resolution legally in force.

2015.04.14 EHAA - DEIALDIA

CALLING ORGANIZATIONS

DSS2016

ETXEPARE BASQUE INSTITUTE

Collaborator:

EIZIE

More information:

www.etxepare.eus

www.dss2016.eu

Kizkitza Galartza

k-galartza@etxepare.eus