323
Literary Translation as an Instrument  
of Slovenian Cultural Diplomacy with  
Particular Regard to Translations in German
Julija Rozman
Abstract
The article discusses translation policy in Slovenia as part of the country’s cultural diplo-
macy. Translations of Slovenian literature, especially into German and English, are among 
the goals of the country’s cultural policy, in part because of Slovenia’s upcoming role as 
Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2023. The article analyses the role of the 
financial support for and promotion of translations from Slovenian into foreign languag-
es by the Slovenian Book Agency and the Trubar Foundation. The study of subsidies 
for translations into German, English, French, Italian, Croatian, and Hungarian shows 
that while the number of subsidies for translations into German and English is high, as 
expected, Croatian takes the leading role among the target languages studied. This un-
derscores the importance of the still-vibrant social and political ties stemming from the 
historical context of Yugoslavia. In addition to the crucial role of subsidies in exporting 
literature from a peripheral language such as Slovenian, the translation process and the 
promotion of literature depend to a considerable extent on other market actors-as the 
interviews with three literary experts showed.
Keywords: literary translation, translation policy, cultural diplomacy, subsidies, Slovenian 
Book Agency ( JAK)
ACTA NEOPHILOLOGICA  UDK: 81'255.4(497.4)
DOI: 10.4312/an.55.1-2.323-339
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324 JuliJa Rozman
INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS1
This study examines the role of translation policy in the context of cultural diplo-
macy of the Republic of Slovenia. Countries develop their own cultural policies 
to exert influence abroad, including through the translation of their literature into 
foreign languages. The study focuses on how state, as well as non-state actors, 
select and regulate the export of Slovenian literature and what this can tell us 
about the relative degree of power of certain target languages in comparison to 
each other and compared to the source language. Slovenian has the role of a pe-
ripheral language in the international translation system (Heilbron 1999, 433; 
Zlatnar Moe, Žigon, and Mikolič Južnič 2019, 42). Moreover, Slovenia is clas-
sified as a small state due to its limited influence in world politics (Požgan and 
Bojinović Fenko 2012, 39–40). For small states, culture is the most appropriate 
tool to increase their international visibility in foreign policy relations (ibid., 40) 
and to shape their own policy of prestige (Udovič 2017, 200). Although languag-
es and translations play a crucial role in international affairs and in any form of 
diplomacy, research in the field of Translation Studies on cultural diplomacy is 
still relatively scarce (Flotow 2018, 193, 200). In Slovenia, cultural diplomacy and 
soft power have only been studied in the field of foreign policy and international 
relations (Podgornik and Udovič 2012; Bojinović Fenko 2014) as well as in con-
nection with transculturality (Žigon, Kondrič Horvat, and Udovič 2020), while a 
study within Translation Studies has not yet been conducted.
The present study has three main objectives. The first objective is to define what 
role translation plays as a means of Slovenia’s cultural diplomacy and how trans-
lation policy in relation to literature export is defined in the state’s main strategic 
documents for culture. The second goal is to find out what the state support of the 
Slovenian Book Agency ( JAK) and the Trubar Foundation for Slovenian litera-
ture in translation reveal about the power relations between the selected languages 
(German, English, French, Italian, Croatian, Hungarian). Finally, the study aims 
to identify the main actors (institutional and others) involved in the selection and 
promotion of translations (national institutions, authors, translators, editors, etc.).
CULTURAL DIPLOMACY AND TRANSLATION
As an integral part of foreign policy and public diplomacy (Požgan and Bojinović 
Fenko 2012, 32), cultural diplomacy is considered an instrument that is part of soft 
power (Hill 2003, 135; Nye 2004). Language and translation play an important 
1 The article was written in the framework of the research program P6-0265, financed by the Slove-
nian Research Agency (ARRS).
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325Literary Translation as an Instrument of Slovenian Cultural Diplomacy
role in cultural diplomacy, as translation is a tool through which cultural elements 
of the country of origin, along with its literary and intellectual traditions, enter 
the target country (Flotow 2018, 197; cf. Udovič 2020). Translation initiatives can 
be used for political reasons and to achieve certain effects related to the image of 
a particular country abroad (Maack 2001; Flotow 2018, 197; Heilbron and Sapiro 
2018, 185).
Cultural diplomacy can be implemented by different types of actors. On the 
one hand, there are state actors, e.g., foreign ministries, cultural attachés, and dip-
lomatic and consular representations. One of the oldest forms of supporting and 
practising cultural diplomacy is represented by national cultural institutes such as 
the British Council, the Alliance Française, and the Goethe-Institut etc. (Bučar 
2007, 45–50). Apart from the Slovenian Culture and Information Centre (SKI-
CA) in Vienna and the Slovenian Cultural Centre Berlin, Slovenia has no other 
cultural centres or cultural attachés abroad, unlike other, comparable countries. 
Slovakia, for example, has eight cultural institutes/centres abroad (Udovič and 
Podgornik 2016, 126), while the Danish Cultural Institute is currently present in 
at least nine countries worldwide (Danish Cultural Institute 2022). Nevertheless, 
the implementation of cultural diplomacy is also in the hands of non-governmen-
tal organisations as well as individuals, such as artists and musicians or, in the field 
of translation, publishers, editors, writers, translators, etc. (Institute for Cultural 
Diplomacy n.d., 11).
TRANSLATION POLICY AND TRANSLATION FLOWS
In the field of Translation Studies, the concept of translation policy has been de-
fined and discussed by various scholars, such as Holmes (1988), Meylaerts (2011), 
and Gonzáles Núñez (2016). In this article, the concept of translation policy will 
be understood as defined by Meylaerts (2011, 163), who relates translation policy 
to different types of settings that include both institutional organisations and a 
wide range of relatively informal decisions related to ideology, strategies of trans-
lators, editors, and publishers, prizes, grants, subsidies, and translator training.
States can be recognised as the central actors in regulating translation flows 
and shaping translation practices, as they influence publishing and encourage or 
inhibit translation through subsidies or other forms of support or, on the other 
hand, through the imposition of restrictions and censorship (Heilbron and Sapiro 
2018, 184; cf. Rude-Porubská 2010). Institutional organisations have a significant 
impact on the export of cultural capital2, of which translations are a crucial part, 
through national policies that include financial support. Subsidy systems namely 
2 Here the term cultural capital is used as defined by Pierre Bourdieu (1986).
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326 JuliJa Rozman
“spring from cultural policies that attempt to incorporate certain cultural goods 
into the national patrimony” (Heilbron and Sapiro 2007, 100). Translation policy 
can therefore be seen as an instrument of national cultural policy3 used to promote 
a country abroad (cultural diplomacy).
Translation flows between language groups form the core of the analysis of the 
international system of translation introduced by Johan Heilbron (1999, 432). In 
this hierarchical but at the same time very dynamic system, language groups occu-
py a hyper-central, central, semi-peripheral or peripheral position. English occu-
pies a hyper-central position since 50–70% of literary translations in the world are 
from English. With a share of 10–12% each in the same global system of literary 
translation, French and German occupy a central position, while some languages 
such as Italian, Spanish, Czech, Polish, Russian, etc. are classified as semi-periph-
eral. All other languages (including Slovenian) belong to the peripheral group; 
the share of literary translations from these languages in the system is less than 
1% (Heilbron 2000, 14). Thus, the “availability or absence of translations from dif-
ferent languages in different book markets reflects existing cultural and political 
power relations,” which are furthermore linked to economic and symbolic capital 
(Hertwig 2020, 6; Sapiro 2008, 159).
METHODOLOGY
To answer the research questions, first, the last three National Programmes for 
Culture (2008–2011, 2014–2017, 2022–2029) and the Slovenian Book Agency 
Strategy 2020–2024 ( JAK 2019b) were examined to see if Slovenian cultural di-
plomacy initiatives emphasise translation as part of cultural export and as a tool to 
promote Slovenia’s image and culture.
Second, the subsidies for translations into selected languages (German, Eng-
lish, French, Italian, Croatian, Hungarian) provided by the main institutions sup-
porting and promoting Slovenian literature abroad-the Slovenian Book Agen-
cy4 and the Trubar Foundation5-were quantitatively analysed from 1991 to May 
2021 to determine how the subsidies differ according to the languages chosen 
for translation. This period was chosen because preliminary research showed that 
3 Cultural policy should be understood as a “sum of government’s activities” regarding arts, the hu-
manities, and heritage (Mulcahy 2006, 320).
4 JAK was established in 2009 by the Slovenian government and is the main public institution sup-
porting the production and promotion of books abroad.
5 The Trubar Foundation was established in 1992 as “a joint venture of the Slovenian Writers’ As-
sociation, Slovenian PEN, and the Centre for Slovenian Literature (supported by the Slovenian 
Book Agency)” ( JAK 2019a, 42). Since 2020, financial support from the Trubar Foundation has 
been entirely under the auspices of JAK (Slovene Writers’ Association 2014).
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327Literary Translation as an Instrument of Slovenian Cultural Diplomacy
translation activity has been most vibrant since the independence of the Repub-
lic of Slovenia. Data were collected from the official websites of the Slovenian 
Book Agency ( JAK 2015) and the Trubar Foundation (Društvo slovenskih pi-
sateljev 2014). The criteria for selecting the above-mentioned languages are based 
on Heilbron’s international translation system-as outlined in the National Pro-
gramme for Culture 2014–2017, central German and hyper-central English are 
considered the languages into which Slovenian literature should be comprehen-
sively translated in the years of preparation for the Frankfurt Book Fair. French 
was chosen because of its central position in the global translation system, to draw 
comparison with German. It seemed reasonable to consider Italian, Croatian, and 
Hungarian as well, since they are official languages in Slovenia’s neighbouring 
countries, which have close cultural and political ties to Slovenia. Moreover, Ital-
ian and Hungarian are recognised as official languages of the Italian and Hungar-
ian ethnic minorities in Slovenia, while Slovenian is also recognised as a minority 
language in both countries.
These subsidies were further investigated for the case of translations into Ger-
man, as the Slovenian language area is historically, culturally, and politically most 
closely connected to the German-speaking area (Kocijančič Pokorn 2008; Žigon 
2020; Rozman, Žigon, and Mezeg, in print). Moreover, German is the second 
most common source and target language for literary translations to and from 
Slovenian (Zlatnar Moe, Strsoglavec, and Žigon 2017, 172; JAK 2019a, 24). The 
analysis of subsidies for translations into German in the last ten years (2011–2021) 
was conducted to make comparisons on two levels: a) the share of financially sub-
sidised translations in the total number of literary translations in the same period, 
and b) the most represented literary genres of Slovenian literature in German 
translation compared to literary genres promoted by state subsidies. First, liter-
ary translations from Slovenian into German were recorded using the extensive 
Slovenian library information system COBISS and supplemented by other rele-
vant bibliographies and catalogues (Vavti 2006; Karlsruher Virtueller Katalog). In 
addition to grants from JAK and the Trubar Foundation, other private or public 
grants were also considered if information about them was available in COBISS.
Finally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with three important ac-
tors in the Slovenian and German-language literary fields. Interviewee 1 is a 
Slovenian literary translator with more than 20 years of experience translating 
mainly from German and Spanish into Slovenian. He/she has translated more 
than 30 books. Interviewee 2 is a German writer, poet, and literary translator who 
translates mainly from Slovenian and English into German and has translated 
more than 28 books. Interviewees 1 and 2 have received numerous literary awards. 
Interviewee 3 specialises in the international promotion of Slovenian literature 
and humanities books at JAK, while Interviewees 1 and 2 also work closely with 
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328 JuliJa Rozman
JAK as literary experts. The questions focused mainly on the criteria for selecting 
Slovenian books for translation and consequently for financial support from the 
state, the reasons for the discrepancies between the target languages, the promo-
tion strategies for Slovenian literature on the German-language literary market, 
and the main actors involved in the export and promotion of Slovenian literature.
RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
Translation policy in the Slovenian National Programmes for Culture
The National Programme for Culture is the main strategic document of Slovenian 
cultural policy. In all three National Programmes, separate chapters are devoted 
to books and the Slovenian language. The goals include the translation of literary 
and humanities works by excellent Slovenian authors and their systematic promo-
tion abroad. International cooperation between publishers is also recognised as an 
important goal, while special attention is given to Slovenian publishers operating 
in neighbouring countries and Slovenian language courses abroad, which contrib-
ute significantly to the promotion of Slovenian literary production. The impact of 
these measures should be visible in the increase of translations of Slovenian liter-
ature into foreign languages and their publication by renowned publishers abroad, 
the establishment of Slovenian authors abroad and their presence at important 
literary festivals.
In the National Programme 2008–2011, the number of translations into for-
eign languages co-financed by the Ministry of Culture is more precisely defined 
and amounts to at least 30 translations per year. While the National Programme 
2008–2011 and the National Programme 2022–2029 do not refer to the specific 
target languages of translations, the National Programme 2014–2017 specifies 
that the main target language for translation of Slovenian literature should be 
German. This can be partly attributed to Slovenia’s role as the Guest of Honour 
at the world’s largest book fair in Frankfurt in 2023. The decision of the Slove-
nian government on the country’s candidacy was implemented in 2014, while 
the contract between the Republic of Slovenia and the Frankfurt Book Fair was 
signed in 2018. Preparations for the Frankfurt Book Fair are mainly led by JAK. 
The National Programme 2014–2017 and the Slovenian Book Agency Strategy 
2020–2024 show that German is perceived as a language through which Slove-
nian literature and culture can gain wider international recognition. In addition 
to German, English is also mentioned as a target language in the preparations for 
Frankfurt, most likely due to its hyper-central position in the global translation 
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329Literary Translation as an Instrument of Slovenian Cultural Diplomacy
system. Therefore, the goal formulated in the National Programme 2014–2017 is 
to increase the number of Slovenian books translated into German and English 
by 30% per year. The current National Programme 2022–2029, while less specif-
ic about target languages, implicitly emphasises the importance of translations 
of Slovenian literature into German when it mentions Slovenia’s crucial role as 
Guest of Honour at Frankfurt 2023.
Subsidies for translations from Slovenian into foreign languages
The results show that especially German, but also English, received an increasing 
number of subsidies from JAK in 2011–2021 compared to previous years (Figs. 
1, 2, and 3), which can be explained by the preparations for Frankfurt. One of 
the requirements for the role of Guest of Honour is the publication of 100–150 
translations into German in the last five years (Interviewees 1 and 2). Therefore, 
JAK has offered additional financial support for translations into German, which, 
in addition to translations, partially covers printing costs, promotion, and literary 
events. This offer is very popular among German publishers, who would otherwise 
probably not have chosen Slovenian authors to the same extent (Interviewee 1).
Another interesting fact is that the language with the highest number of sub-
sidies from the Trubar Foundation and cumulatively (Fig. 3) is Croatian, with a 
total of 165 subsidies over 30 years. According to Interviewee 1, 70% of the re-
quests for co-financing of translations at JAK are for the languages of the former 
Yugoslavia (e.g., Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, Macedonian), a country to which 
Slovenia belonged from the end of the First World War until its independence 
in 1991. This trend shows that the links between the literary field of Slovenia and 
that of the other countries of the former Yugoslavia are still very strong due to 
the common socio-political and historical context (Interviewees 1 and 3). As the 
same interviewees point out, the presence of Slovenian literature on the Croatian 
literary market is definitely very important, as Croatian is still a language with 
more speakers than Slovenian. However, all interviewees emphasised that a book 
translated into Croatian probably has a lower chance of being translated into 
many other languages, while an excellent translation into German, English, or 
French is also an opportunity for Slovenian literature to enter other markets.
Considering the central role of French in the global system of literary transla-
tion, it is surprising that the number of subsidies for translations into French is so 
small. The same concern was expressed by Interviewee 1, who admitted that some 
partners at JAK would like to see more translations into French or Spanish, and 
that they had organised special initiatives for translations into French in previous 
years, but these had met with little interest. Interviewee 3 confirmed that it is very 
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330 JuliJa Rozman
difficult to enter the French market and that only the most prominent authors 
have managed to do so, e.g., Vladimir Bartol, Boris Pahor or Drago Jančar (cf. 
Mezeg 2020; Mezeg and Grego 2022).
Both semi-peripheral Italian and peripheral Hungarian have received more 
subsidies overall than French (Italian almost twice as many as Hungarian), which 
could be explained by their geographical, cultural, and social proximity to Slove-
nia. The relatively high number of subsidies for translations into Italian could also 
be due to the preparations for Slovenia’s role as Guest of Honour at the 2024 Bo-
logna Children’s Book Fair. However, this hypothesis would need to be explored 
as part of a more detailed analysis of all literary translations into Italian, not just 
those that are subsidised. As confided by Interviewees 1 and 3, the applications for 
public tenders for financial support largely reflect the field of publishing and the 
interest of foreign markets in Slovenian literature. The different shares of subsidies 
between languages could indicate actual translation flows between the selected 
languages, but this hypothesis would need to be tested using data on the actual 
number of translations from Slovenian into each language, which is beyond the 
scope of this paper.
Figure 1. Subsidies from the Trubar Foundation (1991–2021).
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331Literary Translation as an Instrument of Slovenian Cultural Diplomacy
Figure 2. Subsidies from JAK (2009–2021).
Figure 3. Subsidies from the Trubar Foundation and JAK (1991–2021).
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332 JuliJa Rozman
Literary translations from Slovenian into German (2011–2021)
Below (Fig. 4) is an overview of literary translations from Slovenian into German 
from 2011 to May 2021. The translations have been categorised according to lit-
erary genre (prose, poetry, and drama) and the category “other,” which includes 
mainly anthologies of mixed literary genres.
Figure 4. Translations of Slovenian literature into German (2011–2021).
As can be observed, the predominant literary genre exported to German in the 
years studied is prose, with 172 works or 62.5% of the total literature translated. 
Poetry ranks second among the genres with 77 works (28%), while the number 
of translations of plays is the lowest (five). The predominant role of prose works 
can be explained by the expectations and requirements of the target literary 
field. According to all three interviewees, German and other international pub-
lishers are strongly interested in novels, while this genre is not one of the strong-
est assets of the Slovenian literary scene. According to Interviewees 1 and 2, the 
problem with Slovenian prose is that the role of the editor is underdeveloped. 
In Slovenia, books are written faster than in Germany and authors are less open 
to changes in the content of the book. Poetry, on the other hand, is perceived as 
the strongest part of Slovenian literature. However, poetry is not very popular 
with publishers, as it is read much less than prose and therefore sells less. The 
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333Literary Translation as an Instrument of Slovenian Cultural Diplomacy
most convenient way to promote poetry is often to publish it in anthologies 
(Interviewees 2 and 3).
Subsidies for translations from Slovenian into German
Among the studied Slovenian literature in German translation in the period 2011–
2021, a total of 73 works were found that received subsidies, i.e., 26.5% of the total 
Slovenian literature translated into German in the observed period. It is important 
to emphasise that this figure does not match the total number of subsidies for this 
period by JAK and the Trubar Foundation presented in the section Subsidies for 
translations from Slovenian into foreign languages (pp. 329–331), as that analysis 
also included non-literary works and may have included books that had already 
received financial support but had not yet been published by May 2021.
Of the 73 co-funded books, most (48) were supported by JAK, nine were sup-
ported by the Trubar Foundation, and seven books were supported jointly by both. 
The remaining nine books were published with the help of various funders, such 
as the Slovenian Government Office for Slovenians Abroad, the Austrian Min-
istry of the Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport, the Slovenian Ministry of 
the Environment and Spatial Planning, and other cultural departments in various 
Austrian provinces (e.g., Carinthia, Styria) or cities (e.g., Vienna, Klagenfurt), etc. 
This shows that government agencies other than JAK also consider literature as 
an important element of promoting the country abroad.
The analysis has also shown that the literary genre that has received the most 
subsidies is prose (57 books), followed by poetry (13 books), drama (two books) 
and “other,” which includes works from different literary genres (one book). The 
distribution of subsidies by literary genre corresponds to the general distribution 
of literary genres in German translations (cf. Section 5.3), i.e., prose works re-
ceived the most subsidies, followed by poetry, drama, and “other.”
The role of the main actors in the selection and promotion  
of translations
Until the establishment of JAK in 2009, the promotion of Slovenian literature 
abroad depended heavily on non-state actors, such as authors, translators, etc. 
(Blatnik 1995, 7). Even today, some authors are very active and successful in in-
dependently finding publishers abroad and promoting themselves (Interviewee 
1). However, most authors depend to a large extent on their translators, who play 
the role of literary agents, a profession that has never really developed in Slovenia 
(Interviewees 1 and 3; cf. Maček 2018). Moreover, translators are trusted not only 
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334 JuliJa Rozman
because of their extensive knowledge of the current literary scene and the pub-
lisher’s catalogue, but also because their advice is considered less influenced by the 
economic constraints faced by the agents or publishers of the originals (Društvo 
slovenskih književnih prevajalcev 2021).
As for the German-speaking market, many deals and recommendations for 
translations are based on the trust and cooperation of actors who have already 
worked together and trust each other’s opinions, as all three interviewees con-
firm. Therefore, when selecting Slovenian books for translation and publication, 
German publishers often turn to experts in the Slovenian literary field who have 
already proven themselves to be professional and consistent in terms of quality, 
such as successful writers, translators, employees of JAK, or independent literary 
critics. In recent years, JAK has increased the number of professional trainings 
for publishers and agents, as well as the number of meetings with German agents 
and publishers. Several Slovenian publishers, such as Mladinska knjiga, Cankar-
jeva založba, and Goga, have begun to assign special staff to sell translation rights 
abroad, and this area is developing more and more (Interviewee 1).
A preliminary analysis of publishers of translations into German (1991–2021) 
shows that most books are published by the Carinthian bilingual publishers Dra-
va, Mohorjeva družba, and Wieser Verlag, which play an important role in intro-
ducing Slovenian literature to the German-speaking world (cf. Köstler and Leben 
2014, 213). However, Interviewee 2 suggested that the promotion of Slovenian 
literature abroad could be more successful if the strategy focused on larger pub-
lishers in German-speaking countries that could reach a wider audience.
As for the criteria for co-funding translations, the interviewees pointed out 
that authors’ success in Slovenia and abroad, literary prizes, or previous publica-
tions with the same publisher can bring additional points. The main criterion is, 
however, the quality of Slovenian authors, translators, and publishers, who also 
take care of distribution and organisation of events. However, quality alone does 
not guarantee the success of a particular book abroad. The book should be pub-
lished in the right context, promoted consistently, and direct contact and discus-
sion with the public should be established (Interviewee 2).
CONCLUSION
Translation in the sense of exporting literature by Slovenian authors is includ-
ed in Slovenia’s main strategic documents on cultural policy, which means that 
the promotion of Slovenian authors and books should also be considered part of 
the country’s cultural diplomacy. JAK has proven to be one of the most impor-
tant state actors controlling the selection and promotion of Slovenian literature 
Acta_Neophilologica_2022_FINAL.indd   334 12. 12. 2022   09:29:33
335Literary Translation as an Instrument of Slovenian Cultural Diplomacy
abroad, as subsidies attract foreign publishers. In addition, over the years, indi-
vidual experts in Slovenian publishing have established their own connections 
with foreign publishers and act as market actors promoting Slovenian literature 
abroad. Some authors, but especially translators, are also recognised as interme-
diaries who propose literature for translation, while publishers are often involved 
in promotional strategies. This preliminary study of translation flows based on 
subsidies shows how other factors, such as geographic proximity and historical, 
political, and cultural ties, may influence Heilbron’s theory of translation flows. In 
the future, a more comprehensive comparative analysis of translation flows from 
peripheral Slovenian into other more central languages could reveal other impor-
tant factors influencing translation activity. Furthermore, more interviews could 
be conducted to better understand the role of state and market actors.
SOURCES
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toteke/Nova_spletna_stran/O_agenciji/Vizitka/strategija_JAK_2020-2024_
za_objavo.pdf. July 21, 2022.
Republika Slovenija. Uradni list Republike Slovenije. Resolucija o nacionalnem pro-
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Republika Slovenija. Uradni list Republike Slovenije. Resolucija o nacionalnem 
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Julija Rozman
University of Ljubljana
Julija.rozman@ff.uni-lj.si
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339Literary Translation as an Instrument of Slovenian Cultural Diplomacy
Književno prevajanje kot sredstvo slovenske kulturne diplomacije s 
posebnim ozirom na prevajanje v nemščino
Članek obravnava prevodno politiko v Sloveniji kot del slovenske kulturne diplomacije. 
Prevajanje slovenske književnosti, predvsem v nemščino in angleščino, je med cilji kul-
turne politike države, med drugim tudi zaradi vloge Slovenije kot častne gostje na medn-
arodnem knjižnem sejmu v Frankfurtu leta 2023. Pričujoči članek analizira vlogo finančne 
podpore za nastanek in promocijo prevodov iz slovenščine v tuje jezike, ki jo nudita Javna 
agencija za knjigo Republike Slovenije in Trubarjev sklad. Študija subvencij za prevode v 
nemščino, angleščino, francoščino, italijanščino, hrvaščino in madžarščino je pokazala, da 
medtem ko je število subvencij za prevode v nemščino in angleščino pričakovano visoko, 
vodilno mesto med proučevanimi ciljnimi jeziki zavzema hrvaščina. To poudarja pomen 
še vedno tesnih družbenih in političnih vezi, ki izhajajo iz zgodovinskega konteksta Jugo-
slavije. Intervjuji s tremi literarnimi strokovnjaki so pokazali, da sta poleg odločilne vloge 
subvencij pri prevajanju književnosti iz perifernega jezika, kot je slovenščina, prevajalski 
proces in promocija književnosti v veliki meri odvisna tudi od drugih tržnih akterjev.
Ključne besede: književno prevajanje, prevodna politika, kulturna diplomacija, subvenci-
je, Javna agencija za knjigo Republike Slovenije ( JAK)
Acta_Neophilologica_2022_FINAL.indd   339 12. 12. 2022   09:29:33