Mediating between two cultures

An event for logophiles, literary lovers, German and Greek speakers this week within the framework of the Weeks of the German Language sees the Goethe-Institut Cyprus invite the public to a literary evening focusing on the translator Theo Votsos and his decades of work as a language mediator between Greek and German-language literature. The event will take place in Greek and German with simultaneous translation on Thursday at 7pm at ARTos House in Nicosia.

Joining him for the event is the Cypriot author Constantia Soteriou, who was recently awarded the Cypriot National Book Award for her latest novel (Brandy Sour, 2022, Patakis). She will join Votsos in a discussion about his favourite projects and the collaboration between authors and translators, among other things. The translator will give an insight into his work with the help of concrete text examples. The discussion will highlight different linguistic and translation aspects from the perspective of both the author and the translator.

Votsos, born in Stuttgart in 1966 as the son of Greek migrant workers, studied political science, sociology and philosophy in Konstanz and Tübingen. He works as a freelance translator of Greek and German literature and as a film and literature editor for various print and online media. He has translated works by Giannis Ritsos, Stratis Myrivilis, Vasilis Papas, Eleni Varopoulou and others from Greek to German as well as works by various German, Austrian and Swiss authors, such as Gottfried Keller, Robert Walser, Adolf Muschg, Eugen Ruge, Lucy Fricke, from German into Greek.

This discussion is the final event of the Weeks of the German Language 2023 which started on November 1 and are co-organised by the Embassies of Austria, Germany and Switzerland and the Goethe-Institut Cyprus with the aim to bring audiences closer to the German language and the culture of the German-speaking countries.

Mediating Between Two Cultures

Translator Theo Votsos in conversation with author Constantia Soteriou. Part of the Weeks of the German Language 2023. November 16. ARTos House, Nicosia. 7pm. Free. In German and Greek. Tel: 22-674606. [email protected]. www.goethe.de/cyprus