Time and place: 25–26 April 2025, Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators, Uddens gränd 3, 621 56 Visby, Sweden.
The following representatives of the 14 member organisations from 8 countries were present (altogether 19 persons): Swedish Writers’ Union (Anna-Säflund Orstadius), The Union of Finnish Writers (Ville Hytönen, Alexandra Salmela), Society of Swedish Authors in Finland (Malin Kivelä, Johanna Sandberg), The Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters (Laura Pascual), Lithuanian Writers’ Union (Marius Burokas), Lithuanian Association of Literary translators (Markus Roduner) Estonian Writers’ Union (Maarja Kangro, Piret Viires, Øyvind Rangøy), Latvian Writers’ Union (Mudite Treimane), The International Union of Belarusian Writers (Alena Makouskaya, Nina Shydlouskaya), The Norwegian Association of Literary Translators (Hilde Lyng), Norwegian Authors’ Union (Hanne Ramsdal), The Norvegian Society of Authors (Vibeke Koehler), Norwegian Writers for Children (Sanne Mathiassen), Polish Association of Literary Translators (Daniel Lubiński). Lena Pasternak was representing the Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators.
Agenda of the Meeting
Friday, April 25th 2025
12.00–16.00 General Assembly
* Opening of the General Assembly. Short presentation of all participants
* Approval of the agenda
* Election of a chairperson and secretary of the GA
* Activity report by Malin Kivelä, chair of BWC
* Membership questions. Membership fee for the following year.
13.30-14.00 Coffee break
* BCWT (Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators) news and retrospectives by Lena Pasternak, director
* Reports from member organisations
16.30 – 17.30 Early dinner
18.00 Brännande uttryck i Sápmi – Burning expressions in Sápmi starts!
The Finnish media artist Marja Viitahuhtas art videos for the Sápmi musician Ánnámáret + the film Sameblod by Amanda Kernell, Folkets bio (Adelsgatan 39, Visby).
21.00 Night by the fire, shared stories about burning issues, with Ánde Somby
(Tromsø) – storyteller, musician, lawyer (we will meet at the centre at 21.00).
Saturday, April 26th 2025
10.00–14.00 General Assembly
* Reports from member organisations
* Treasurer’s report by Anna-Säflund Orstadius, treasurer of BWC
* Auditor’s report by Johanna Sandberg, auditor of BWC
* Approval of the 2024 finances of BWC and the budget for 2025
* Election of the auditor
* Plans for next year
* Date of next GA
* Other issues
* Closing of GA 2025
14.00 -15.00 Lunch at Gotlands museum.
16.00 Brännande uttryck i Sápmi – Burning expressions in Sápmi continuesat Almedalen library (Cramérgatan 5, Visby)
16.00–16.50 Sápmi children’s author Anna Nuutti Wiandt and translator Are Tjihkkom discuss Sápmi literature now and before as well as translations into small languages led by Sofia Ahlberg and Suzanne Ericson from Uppsala University
17.00–17.50 Challenges and possibilities concerning life and art in Sápmi today with poet, queer activist Timimie Märak and activist, writer, musician Petra Laiti. Led by Ánde Somby
18.30 Readings by Timimie Märak, Petra Laiti, Are Tjihkkom, Anna Nuutti Wiandt
19.30 Concert Ánde Somby & DJ Petra Laiti
Dinner. After the programme at the Centre
MINUTES FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1. The chairperson of BWC Malin Kivelä opened the meeting at 12:00 on Friday, April 25th 2025
The participants of the meeting shortly presented themselves. Lena Pasternak, the director of BCWT greeted the guests.
2. The Agenda of the meeting was approved by the Assembly.
3. BWC chairperson Malin Kivelä was elected chairperson for the meeting and Piret Viires was elected secretary for the meeting.
4. The Chairperson of the BWC Malin Kivelä presented the activity report for BWC for the year of 2024-2025.
Activity report 2024
The previous General Assembly was arranged in Visby about a year ago, in the beginning of May 2024. Then 18 persons from 11 member organisations and 7 countries were present.
Today representatives of 14 member organizations from 8 countries, altogether 19 persons and Lena Pasternak are here.
Last year, in addition to the GA, we organized an event called The Death of Literature. It didn’t really turn out as planned, because most of the working group left, or didn’t turn up, and we had to improvise in the end.
But at last we had a group work session about different topics concerning the theme at the library here at the centre which turned out to be quite exciting. We also had a relaxed public reading (I think one external listener came!) and it was a success! It is so interesting to hear what our writing members are working with. We planned to do the reading every year, and I still support that. But this year there won’t be any, because of our quite ambitious project that will start tonight, our Sápmi event Brännande uttryck i Sápmi, Burning Expressions of Sápmi, presenting different aspects of what’s going on in the Sápmi region right now.
It’s been a ride. The working group consisting of Carina Karlsson, Laura Pascual, Øyvind Rangøy & myself have worked throughout the year on this. In Finland we have a phrase called Management by perkele. And our work with this has been a case in point of this method. On top of all the crisis of the art field unfortunately became reality as we didn’t get any of the official funding we applied for. Thank god for Finlands svenska författareförening, Norsk oversatterforening and of course BWC and BCWT, Lena Pasternak, Patrik Muskos, the Almedalen library and the cinema Folkets bio and the Sápmi consulting done by Ánde Somby.
You have got the program in an email and it’s also visible on the webpage balticwriterscouncil.info. The point of this organisation and these gatherings is to keep informed of, engaged in, inspired by, what is going on in the countries of the member organisations: the challenges, the good and bad news for the writers and the translators of our countries. We form a unique collegial, international, but still geographically intimate, support group for each other. The core of the GAs are the country reports, which we will start taking part of soon. We all make up this organisation and without all of us it wouldn’t exist. Let’s enjoy each other’s stories, and company, and beautiful Visby, starting to bloom, this weekend, and continue our important and special work together.
The GA approved the report.
- Membership questions.
The GA decided that the membership fee for the following year 2026 will be 200 EUR or 300 EUR. The members who are ready to pay higher fee will notice Piret. The GA also decided that the Ukrainian Association of Translators and Interpreters is waived to pay the membership fee for the year 2025. Daniel promised to contact Polish Writers’ Union and Ville will ask Danish Writers Union if they want to be members.
Coffee break.
6. BCWT news by Lena Pasternak, director of BCWT.
Lena Pasternak, director of BCWT, gave an overview of the situation in the centre during last year. The BCWT is an international centre, started in 1993, has 11 rooms, priority is on Baltic sea region and Scandinavia, but also other countries. Establishing of the BCWT was the result of the writers’ Baltic Sea cruise. They saw the island and decided the house would be here. It was a special period of Europa and Baltic sea, opposite to today, everything was opening up. The core activities is residencies, members of different organisations are coming. 160 residencies, 22 countries, 80% from Baltic sea region, but are from other countries. What is special in this Centre, everyone has time for writing and meeting colleagues. The atmosphere is – this is your house.
BCWT participates in international networks, lot of cooperation going on. In 2024 – cooperation with Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian embassies – marking the 80 years of the big escape in the Baltics. Other events, seminars, readings, school visits, lot of cooperation. BCWT is also part of the network Recit – international network for translators and writers houses. BCWT is financed by Swedish Art Council 80% and 20% region Gotland, house is owned by Gotland region, centre pays rent.
Lena introduced also the logistics of this weekend.
7. Reports from member organisations.
The reports were distributed among the participants via Google Drive.
Malin Kivelä (Society of Swedish Authors in Finland, Carina Carlsons report).
Maarja Kangro (Estonian Writer’s Union)
Hanne Ramsdal (Norwegian Authors Union)
Ville Hytönen (Union of Finnish Writers)
Laura Pascual (The Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters)
Vibeke Koehler (Norwegian Society of Authors)
Alena Makouskaya (International Union of Belarusian Writers)
End of the first session 16.00
Saturday 26th 2025
10 – 14 General Assembly
The session started at 10.00
- Reports from member organisations continued.
Daniel Lubiński (Polish Association of Literary Translators)
Hilde Lyng (Norwegian Association of Literary Translators)
Marius Burokas (Lithuanian Writers’ Union)
Sanne Mathiassen (Norwegian Writers for Children)
Markus Roduner (Lithuanian Association of Literary translators)
Anna-Säflund Orstadius (Swedish Writers’ Union)
Mudite Treimane (Latvian Writers Union)
9. Treasurer’s Anna-Säflund Orstadius report by the Treasurer of BWC.
The Treasurer Anna-Säflund Orstadius presented the finances of 2024 and the budget of 2025.
10. Auditor’s report. The auditor (Johanna Sandberg) found the books in order, finances were used according to the purposes and the board was granted freedom of responsibility for 2024.
After hearing the Treasurer’s report and Auditor’s report General Assembly approved unanimously the finances of 2024 and the budget for 2025.
12. Election of Auditors.
Johanna Sandberg was elected as auditor.
13. Plans for the next year.
The GA decided to organize a small event next year. Reading in the BWCT library, open to the public. In addition to that a working group of Sasa, Daniel and Ville was formed to prepare and organize a performance on Friday.
14. Other issues.
Malin Kivelä informed that Ulrich Schreber, former Head of Berlin literary festival looks for cooperation. GA decided that more information is necessary from him. The GA also had a discussion about AI.
Lena Pasternak asked to spread the word about the centre.
17. Date of the next GA.
The GA decided that the next assembly will be on 24–25 April 2026
Group picture was taken.
18. Closing the GA.
The GA was closed at 13.00
Malin Kivelä Piret Viires
Chairperson Secretary