Most of us take for granted our access to great works of literature in our native language. No one is surprised to read Moliere in German, Goethe in Spanish or Elytis in English.

However, the artisans behind this effort to make great writing accessible to all are highly-trained and dedicated people who are in a position to influence international literary tastes.

New generation

the effort continues in Athens at the European Centre for the Translation of Literature and the Human Sciences (EKEMEL), an original programme that has "a goal of bringing out a new generation of translators of literature, human sciences and philosophy," according to Christos Asteriou, the centres German department director. "In essence, the workshop educates literary translators."

The centre is a non-profit organization which was founded in May 2001 after efforts by people in the world of translation, authors, literary figures and the National Book Centre, which funds the effort.

Its goal is to bring together the cream of the translating crop who will foster a new generation capable of delivering high quality translations of text from Greek into English, French or German and vice versa.

French lessons

Training in French literary translations is not entirely new to Greece. For the last 15 years a whole generation of translators came out of the centre of literary translation that operated successfully at the French Institute until earlier this year, Asteriou said.

He added that EKEMEL's French department comprises staff from the former French Institute and that "for German and English, the effort is beginning now with very good professors."

Included on the list of the professionals associated with the centre are Greek poet and Cultural Olympiad president Titos Patrikios, playwright and member of the Athens Academy Iakovos Kambanellis and Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney, who is an honorary member of the centre.

Heaney on board

"Truly, there was a need for something like this, I think an imperative need, and it is very significant that such a centre is being introduced for the first time, so organized with so many languages," Asteriou said. "In German, I can tell you for me, it was never this organized in Greece."

He added that there is a prospect of expanding to Spanish next year.

Starting in November, the centre will offer a two-year course of studies that concludes with the awarding of a certificate.

"It is a lot of hours," Asteriou said. "It is not something people do as a supplement. Someone must be devoted to this."

People wishing to attend courses must register by the October deadline. Admission to the program is contingent on a written entrance examination to prove language competence and translation talent.

Limited intake

Just because you speak a language doesn't necessarily mean you can do a literary translation, the director explains. And the process is selective because groups of students are limited to 13 people.

First-year students will be introduced to translation through writings from various genres and periods, as well as human sciences texts from such fields as philosophy, anthropology and sociology.

They will also learn what resources are available to them through the Internet. Monthly seminars by professionals will enrich studies through discussions of problems published translators have had to deal with.

Practice in the second year is rounded off with a drama translation workshop that aims for coursework translations to be used by professional theatre companies.

Job market

Asteriou is confident of job prospects for the centres students. He said the organization cooperates with the National Book Centre and with the Goethe Institute, the German cultural centre, whose professors are part of the centres staff. Then there are the publishing houses.

"A diploma by itself counts for nothing if you have not been polished and don't have the experience from the people who teach here," Asteriou said.

"The publishing houses, knowing that someone has done four six-month sessions and has passed through the hands of these people who are known translators, know that if someone leaves from here they will be in the position to translate literature, philosophical text, human sciences, essays, etc., well."

Beyond training new translators, though, the centre also will serve as a hub for professionals, offering them a place to gather and meet and providing a resource centre complete with specialized reference material.

Public lectures

While the library is open only to students, monthly events, seminars and lectures will be open to the public.

The monthly events will begin in November with a discussion on translating William Shakespeare. Invited translators will speak about the problems they have had translating the author. The December event will focus on political philosophy text translations. In April, Modern Greek literature abroad will be the focus.

Overall, will the centre make new translations better than they have been?

"That is our wager and our goal," Asteriou said, "to start educating people who do excellent translations, to become professional translators ... who know how to translate very well, that we improve the profession of the translator in quality and in practice."