ALL ANTWERP. “I translate books and poetry into Slovenian” (Antwerp)
Every day our reporter and photographer pick a casual passer-by off the street for a chat. Want everyone has a story. And certainly in Antwerp. Today: Stasa Pavlovic (34).
“I just had an hour break. It was necessary to even get outside and enjoy the sun. Meanwhile I was listening to new wave from a Slovenian band. Vintage, but for people my age. A lot of young people are listening to that now. I myself am from Slovenia.”
“I have lived in Belgium for ten years now. I’m here for love, we come apart. But I have a life here. I am currently staying in Antwerp for two days, but I live in Ghent. I spend the night in a translator’s house, which is an apartment where translators like me are allowed to work for a while through Literatuur Vlaanderen. I translate books and poetry. You can live in such a translator’s house for one or two weeks to fully concentrate on your book. I always translate a Dutch book into Slovenian.”
“I have already read a lot of books. Books are my life, always have been. In the original I am working on books by Stefan Hertmans and Gerda Blees. I don’t always choose which books to translate, so sometimes there are stories that I don’t like. It is an intense job because you spend months on the same job. I alternate with poetry. It’s not easy and I don’t do it a lot, but it’s nice. Poetry really has to be your thing, otherwise you can’t translate it.” rvre