The Limits of “Free” Literary Exchange. On the Place of Translation at the First Colloquium of Latin American and German Writers (Berlin, 1962)

Abstract

The First Colloquium of Latin American and German Writers took place in Berlin in 1962. Convened by the Humboldt magazine, it was attended by translators, critics, publishers, and scholars. The present article analyses the various ways in which translation was involved in the colloquium. It opens with a brief contextualization of the event, which includes an analysis of the composition of the guests’ lists, and its impact on the generation of asymmetries in cultural relations. Then, the focus lies, firstly on the main lines of debate around translation. Secondly, from the point of view of the history of intellectual relationships between Latin America and Germany, an attempt is made to elucidate the expectations regarding the role of translation in the development of possible joint projects, as well as the suggested models of collaboration. Finally, the criterion of asymmetry is taken up in the analysis of two of the resulting projects.