First-ever Translation to Dutch of Work by Leonidas Donskis
First-ever Translation to Dutch of Work by Leonidas Donskis
The body of work of the renowned Lithuanian philosopher and public intellectual Leonidas Donskis is becoming more and more accessible to the foreign readers. Collection of essays “The Little Europe: a Map by an Aesthete“ has been translated to Dutch (“Het Kleine Europa: Landkaart van een estheticus”, Garant, 2018). It is the first translation of the philosopher‘s work after his passing in 2016. The translation is an initiative of The Lithuanian Embassy to Belgium, Leonidas Donskis Foundation and The Flanders Department of Foreign Affairs.
Book-Album “The Little Europe: a Map by an Aesthete” is a collection of essays by a true art enthusiast who wanders the small towns in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Scandinavia, discovering places, where brilliant artists have formed.
According to the founder and the head of the Leonidas Donskis Foundation Mrs. Jolanta Donskienė “It is truly meaningful that the first Leonidas book to be translated to Dutch is “The Little Europe”. It was one of his dreams. This dream coming true is a wonderful testimony to Leonidas’ love and admiration for the Flemish culture.”
Former Lithuanian ambassador to Belgium Gediminas Varvuolis, who has coordinated the release of the book with the team of the Embassy, in the Preface of “Little Europe” recalls the enthusiasm and inspiration that followed the genesis of the project in 2016. Initially it was meant to commemorate the 20th anniversary of collaboration of Flanders and Lithuania. Unfortunately, the author of the book himself has not lived to see the book released in Dutch. However, the promise has been kept: The Flanders Department of Foreign Affairs with the support of Honorary Consuls of Lithuania Francois-Xavier Nieberding and Jean-Jacques Haus has financed the issue of the book. The translation was supported by the States of Lithuania and the Netherlands – the funding was attributed by Translation grant programme of Lithuanian Culture Institute and Dutch Foundation For Literature.
„Little Europe“ was translated from Lithuanian to Dutch by Anita I. Van der Molen. She has already translated multiple Lithuanian authors to Dutch, namely: Romualdas Granauskas, Giedra Radvilaviciute, Laura-Sintija Cerniauskaite, Alvydas Slepikas and others.
Dutch is already the 17th language to which works of Donskis have been translated. The author, who wrote in Lithuanian and English, is now accessible in Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian.
Presentations of the book are planned in the Embassies of Lithuania to Belgium and to the Netherlands
