Each year, the festival selects a curatorial theme, and its program addresses the most pressing issues of our time. For the third consecutive year, we are hosting a major event amidst Russia’s ongoing full-scale war against Ukraine. We have previously explored topics such as silence and memory, and this year, we turn our attention to freedom.

Can translation be an act of resistance, a tool for decolonization, and a form of struggle? Today, translation is an act of freedom. And this freedom is layered. It is the freedom to choose: what and how to translate? It is the freedom to speak: do we have the words to express war, trauma, and love? It is the freedom to listen: how do we welcome texts that differ from our own experiences but have the power to change us?

In the Ukrainian context, translation has always carried deeper meaning. It has been a way to resist imperial narratives, preserve language, and rediscover ourselves. The VIII TRANSLATORIUM Literary and Translation Festival will provide a platform for exploring translation as a tool for critically reflecting on our history, a means of restoring identity, and a symbol of cultural liberation.

The theme for this year’s festival is “Translation as an Act of Freedom”. For more insights, read the curatorial text.

The program features nearly 20 events in various formats across 3 days, including discussions, lectures, workshops, readings, and book presentations with the participation of translators. The festival will also showcase artistic and musical projects, a photography exhibition, and a performance.

The VIII TRANSLATORIUM Literary and Translation Festival is organized by the TRANSLATORIUM NGO in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Khmelnytskyi City Council, with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.