Anthologies of Kazakh literature translated into 6 UN languages will be distributed to more than 90 countries worldwide

Literature critics, the Anthology authors, translators, heads of translations and printing houses from Great Britain, Spain, France, Russia, China, Egypt and Middle East countries attended the launch of the anthologies, which took place on [date]

According to the Head of the Department of Internal Policy of the Presidential Administration and Secretary of the National Commission on the implementation of Rukhani Zhangyru, Mrs. Aida Balayeva, the translation of the selected Kazakh literature pieces into 6 UN languages is an unprecedented initiation aimed to introduce contemporary Kazakh literature to the world.

«Selected works of 60 Kazakhstani authors will be translated at once into 6 major languages of the world, published at the best printing houses of Great Britain, France, Spain, Egypt, China, and Russia, and reach university libraries and scientific centers of more than 90 countries in 5 continents. Therefore 2.6 billion people will have an access to Kazakh literature masterpieces»,  stated Mrs. Balayeva.

Significant attention was paid to the quality of translation in the frame of the project. Translators and publishing houses' representatives from Great Britain, Spain, Russia, France and China visited Kazakhstan to learn about the local history and culture, and interview the authors.. This greatly contributed to ensuring the  texts remained close to the original and that the translations were of a high standard..

One of the key partners of the project, Cambridge University Press,  not only translated but also printed and distributed the Anthologies with the involvement of leading translators and literary editors in the UK.

The modern Kazakh literature spoke in Spanish with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Spain and the Servantes Institute.

The French version was prepared by the support of Mayor of Paris and the France National Book Center. The coordination of Russian language translation was done by the Moscow branch of Russian Writers’ Union and printing house of the Lomonosov Moscow State University contributed to the publishing and distribution.

China Peoples’ Republic’s National Printing House carried out the translation, publishing and distribution of Kazakh literature works in Chinese. The Anthologies will be introduced to Arabic countries by Culture and education center of Egypt Arabic Republic.

The above mentioned partner organisations involved more than 70 specialists for transition, editing, distribution and promotion of the Anthologies.

The project is being implemented by coordination of National Bureau of Translations commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and Sport of the Republic of Kazakhstan.