Sunday, October 16, 2005

 

Following is the excerpt of a news story published this week.
For the full text of this story please see The Ukrainian Weekly, No. 42, 2005

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Latest Harry Potter book, in Ukrainian, is launched in Kyiv

by Yana Sedova
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - A Ukrainian-language version of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" rolled off the presses on October 6, joining German and French as the first translations of the latest novel in J.K. Rowling's wildly popular series.

"Don't be a Muggle, support Ukrainian because it's cool!" read the book's slogan, printed on one of the back pages.

To meet the frantic demand, Ukrainian booksellers bought up 70,000 copies of the series' sixth installment before its official presentation at the Ukrayinskyi Dim in Kyiv.

The official 574-page Ukrainian translation arrived two months ahead of the Russian version.

"This is very important for promotion of Ukrainian reading," said Ivan Malkovych, the director of the nation's biggest publisher of children's literature, A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA, which has been active since 1992.

"It was very important to publish the book earlier than the Russian translation in order to engage tens of thousands of readers who would read at least 600 pages of Ukrainian in their life," he explained.

The Harry Potter translation team consisted of nine workers who toiled through the translation project without taking time off for weekends or vacations.

Viktor Morozov bought the novel in Amsterdam on July 16, the release date, and started work immediately. He spent 16 hours a day in his Washington office translating the novel, sending it in parts to Mr. Malkovych by e-mail.

Harry Potter is promoting the Ukrainian language, and children are finally starting to read books in their native language, Mr. Malkovych said. Moreover, Harry Potter is getting kids to actually read, since many have gotten used to playing computer games and watching television.

More than 200 Ukrainians, mainly mothers and their excited children, swarmed the presentation party, in Kyiv, catching their first glimpse of the bright, colorful cover.

The book presentation in Kyiv became a festival for children, who enthusiastically chanted the right answers in response to Harry Potter trivia questions that Mr. Malkovych shouted above the crowd.



Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, October 16, 2005, No. 42, Vol. LXXIII