On Friday, June 16, as part of the annual literary festival Krokodil - Spaces of Freedom, a captivating translation workshop titled ‘Translating Gender’ took place, with a specific focus on the Dutch language and literature.

The workshop revolved around the translation of excerpts from the novel Welkom bij de club (Welcome to the Club) written by Tomas van der Meer. The novel explores the author's personal journey of transitioning and sheds light on the challenges faced by transgender individuals. It also highlights the positive aspects inherent in this transformative process.

During the workshop, participants engaged in vibrant discussions revolving around thought-provoking questions that arise from the divergent gender marking systems employed in the Dutch and Serbian languages. The question of which gender to assign during the translation of this novel surfaced, prompting deliberations on whether to switch genders in specific instances. Furthermore, the participants contemplated the extent of loss in translation due to the original text's gender-neutrality, which necessitates gender markers in the translated version. They also explored the possibility of circumventing gender altogether within the Serbian language.

Following the workshop, on Saturday, June 17, a stimulating panel discussion on the same topic took place. The panel featured the workshop participants, along with skilled translators from Hungarian and Turkish languages, respectively. The discussion encompassed a presentation and analysis of Dutch literature that explores transgender and LGBT experiences, creating a space for further exploration and understanding of this subject, which still remains taboo in Serbian public discourse.

(Bojana Budimir)