
Please introduce yourself in two or three sentences.
I can’t imagine my life without literature and music, neither on a professional nor a personal level. Throughout my longstanding professional practice as a project director and translator – advising, curating, facilitating and translating – I’ve enjoyed belonging to a large artistic family of choice.
What career experience do you have in your field of consultation?
In the past twelve years I’ve acquired diverse experiences, working both as a project director for a non-profit foundation (Allianz Kulturstiftung), as well as for a pan-European literary association, which is more closely associated with the independent scene (European Society of Authors). As a result, I am familiar with both sides of project acquisition and funding arrangements, as well as with project management – from the perspective of an applicant organization as well as from that of a funding institution. On the one hand, my work has comprised of project conception, application writing and subsequent management, and on the other hand, it has been about providing advice to individuals, as well as accompanying and helping the respective applicants to network, and supporting the selection process from the perspective of the funding institution. As a freelance translator, I’ve worked for the publishers diaphanes and Residenz-Verlag, as well as for various magazines.
What are typical questions that participants might ask you in a consultation session?
How can I find funding for my specific project? How do I network? How can I explain the creative part of my project in a way that conforms to the application format? What should I pay particular attention to when putting together the documents for an application? What is particularly important to the selection committees? How do I write a budget plan? How do I efficiently implement a project, once it’s been approved? And not to be forgotten: How do I write an invoice for a project and complete it on time?
What are some of your professional achievements?
From 2011 to 2017 I was the project manager for Finnegan’s List: a compilation by contemporary authors, featuring books they believe should be more widely translated. In the process, I worked with acclaimed festivals and literary institutions in Europe and beyond, and as a result was able to gain insight into the funding landscape in Germany and the rest of Europe. My time working as a project manager for an institution (Allianz Kulturstiftung) that was active in providing funding across Europe in the areas of literature and music, among others, gave me further insight into institutional work and how funding criteria is developed. I am currently working on a new concept that brings together food and literature, and spend my time as a freelance adviser and translator.
What languages do you offer consultation sessions in?
German, French and English.
Where can you be found in the internet/on social media?
Here and there; and soon on my own website.
What piece of advice would you offer anyone interested in working in your professional field?
Don’t be discouraged by rejection! Believe in your ideas, network among yourselves and be open for new things. In short: it pays to graze in ‘the meadow of your mind’, to freely quote from Paul Valéry’s “Cahiers”.
What were your greatest challenges in the early years of your career?
The first steps in my freelance career: It takes time to land interesting jobs, realize a few projects and build up networks. It will remain difficult – as ever, this is an uncertain line of work – but it’s worth it.