Poland – Guest of Honour at the 50th International Belgrade Translators’ Meeting 2025

The 50th International Belgrade Translators’ Meeting – BEPS (50. Београдски Преводилачки Сусрети – БЕПС) will be held from 23 to 25 October 2025 in Belgrade. As tradition dictates, the event will bring together literary translators, writers, and literature enthusiasts from Serbia, Europe and around the world. For the first time in the history of the Meeting, there will be a Guest Country of Honour, and this year that distinction goes to Poland.

Literature as a Bridge between Poland and Serbia – joint meetings of translators and writers

The International Belgrade Literary Translators’ Meeting is an annual event organised in parallel with the International Belgrade Book Fair (Међународни београдски сајам књига). The meetings offer a platform for translators from various countries to exchange experiences, learn about the latest Serbian literature, meet authors, and take part in panels and discussions on the art of translation, publishing trends in different countries, cooperation with publishing houses, grant opportunities, copyright issues, and the current state of translated literature.

This year’s anniversary edition is held under the theme “Half a Century of BEPS – Towards New Translations” (Пола века БЕПС-а – у сусрет новим преводима). The rich three-day programme includes panel discussions, film screenings, and meetings with authors. For the first time in its history, BEPS will host a Guest Country of Honour – Poland. Serbian and Balkan literature is attracting growing interest in Poland, while literature and culture continue to serve as a natural bridge between our peoples. On this occasion, leading Polish translators of Serbian literature will meet with translators of Polish literature into Serbian.

Programme of the 50th BEPS – panels, film screenings, and discussions on the future of literary translation

Culture is an important dimension of the Polish-Serbian dialogue – encompassing literature, film, music, jazz, and other arts. Accordingly, the programme of this anniversary edition focuses on the role of literary translation in fostering intercultural understanding. The meetings will open with a discussion on the reception of Serbian literature in Poland and opportunities for collaboration between translators. Subsequent panels will explore topics such as Serbian and Polish fantasy literature, the work of the Polish Literary Translators Association, and the history and future of BEPS itself. The programme will also feature a screening of the documentary film “33 Books: A Farewell to Arms” and a joint visit by participants to the International Belgrade Book Fair.

Programme of the 50th International Belgrade Translators’ Meeting (BEPS)

Thursday, 23 October 2025

• 6:00 p.m. – Welcoming the guests of the 50th BEPS

Friday, 24 October 2025

• 9:30 a.m. – Official opening of the 50th BEPS

• 10:00–11:30 a.m. – First panel discussion: Guest Country of Honour of the 50th BEPS – Poland
  Topics: What is being translated in Poland? Reception of Serbian literature – literary genres and trends. Meeting of translators of Polish and Serbian literature. Exchange of experiences on the prestige of the translation profession, international cooperation, and funding schemes supporting literary translation.

• 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. – Second panel discussion: Meeting with authors of fantasy literature: Darko Tuševljaković, Ivana Nešić, Oto Oltvanji, and editor and translator Marko Vojnović.
  Discussion on Serbian and Polish fantasy: is there interest in translating Serbian fantasy in Poland? Reception of Polish fantasy literature in Serbia, with particular focus on Andrzej Sapkowski’s “The Witcher” saga, the latest volume of which was published in Serbia simultaneously with the world premiere.

• 4:00–4:30 p.m. – Presentation of the Polish Literary Translators Association

• 4:40–5:40 p.m. – Documentary film presentation: “From History through Translation to Film: The Making of the Documentary 33 Books: A Farewell to Arms”
  The presentation of the documentary will explore the question: what happens when we seek to restore attention to forgotten works of Serbian literature that depict everyday life, whose messages extend far beyond war, cruelty, victimhood, borders, conspiracy theories, and ethnic stereotypes?

• 5:45–7:15 p.m. – Third panel discussion: Half a Century of BEPS – Towards New Translations
  A reflection on the fifty-year history of BEPS – from its beginnings to the present day. How has the event evolved, how has it responded to global trends, and how is it meeting the challenges of the digital age?

Saturday, 25 October 2025

• Visit of Participants to the 68th International Belgrade Book Fair

Participants of the 50th International Belgrade Translators’ Meeting (BEPS): Ben Andoni (Albania), Dejan Acović (Serbia), Justyna Czechowska (Poland), John Cox (USA), Žela Georgijeva (Bulgaria), Katica Garoska (North Macedonia), Aleksandra Halicka (Poland), Lara Hölbling Matković (Croatia), Zuzanna Kuczera (Poland), Agnieszka Łasek (Poland), Ana Nemec (Croatia), Magdalena Nowakowska (Poland/Georgia), Natalia Osińska (Poland), Tanja Radmilo (Croatia), Emese Rajsli (Hungary), Anna Smutnaya (Russia), Damian Stankiewicz (Poland), Ewa Stawczyk (Poland), Đurđa Strsoglavec (Slovenia), Aleksandra Wojtaszek (Poland).

50th International Belgrade Translators’ Meeting (BEPS)

• Dates: 23–25 October 2025

• Venue: Headquarters of the Association of Literary Translators of Serbia, 7 Francuska Street, Belgrade

• More information: www.ukps.rs

• BEPS Partners: Polish Institute in Belgrade, International Belgrade Book Fair, Association of Literary Translators of Serbia

• Patrons of the Anniversary Edition: Ministry of Culture of Serbia, Polish Institute in Belgrade, Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Warsaw