Somehow it’s Friday afternoon at the Frankfurt Book Fair – the time has whizzed by, just like last year. It’s been great meeting new faces (from Colombia to China) and developing relationships with existing contacts (from Italy to India). There are so many enthusiastic publishers – one Argentinian company presented me with a shopping list of Welsh writers!

The Chinese stand/area has provided a more informal way to meet publishers, with the various exhibitors mixed together around tables along the side of one of the huge halls that make up Frankfurt Buchmesse.

I’ll be heading back tomorrow morning, with an ICE train from the Hauptbahnhof (one S-Bahn stop from the Messe, and my accommodation) to Brussels, and then the Eurostar to London (and a train back to Wales). It’s remarkably straightforward, cuts a lot of the hassle you get at airports, and is far more comfortable and person-friendly than other modes of transport – I highly recommend it.

Hwyl!

Robin

After a very smooth journey yesterday (on the Eurostar to Brussels, and then the ICE to Frankfurt), I’m wrapping up the first day at the Book Fair.

It’s as busy as ever, with a huge Chinese presence (as they’re Guest of Honour this year). I’ll be meeting with Chinese publishers tomorrow.

Today I met agents and publishers from Argentina, Germany, Egypt and Denmark – and I’m getting a good reaction to the 2009-10 Silff Lyfrau.

More to come tomorrow!

Robin

The new Mercator Network newsletter has just been published and is available to read in full here. However there are some links to the media relevant articles:

• Scottish Gaelic BBC channel reached 600,000 viewers during its first week
• TG4@10 Book Launch at NUI Galway
• Midas Prize for Journalism in Minority Protection and Cultural Diversity in Europe 2009

Mae Rhwydwaith Mercator wedi cyhoeddi eu cylchlythyr diweddaraf. Gallwch ei ddarllen yn gyflawn fan hyn, ond dyma rai straeon sy’n berthasol i’r cyfryngau:

Scottish Gaelic BBC channel reached 600,000 viewers during its first week

TG4@10 Book Launch at NUI Galway

Midas Prize for Journalism in Minority Protection and Cultural Diversity in Europe 2009

At long last the BBC Alba, the Gaelic language service for Scotland provided by the BBC in conjunction with MG Alba, was launched on the 19th September. It consists of a digital television channel which is available to view on Sky 168 and Freesat 110 (DTT coverage is subject to review in 2010); BBC Radio nan Gàidheal and BBC Alba Online. Watch the opening 5 minutes below

Daniel Cunliffe on “crowdsourcing” translation of websites such as the Facebook Translation Application which has now completed translating Facebook into Catalan and Welsh. It is also available in Pirate English (see language choice), but it is unknown how many actual pirates were crowdsourced to do this localisation.

O’r diwedd fe gyrhaeddodd BBC Alba, y gwasanaeth darlledu Gaeleg ar gyfer yr Alban sy’n cael ei ddarparu gan y BBC ar y cyd gyda MG Alba, ar y 19eg Medi. Mae’n cynnwys sianel deledu ddigidol sydd ar gael i’w wylio ar Sky 168 a Freesat 110 (mae darlledu ar DTT yn amodol ar adolygiad yn 2010); BBC Radio nan Gàidheal a BBC Alba Arlein. Gallwch wylio’r munudau cychwynnol isod:

Dyma hefyd gofnod blog gan Daniel Cunliffe ar ffenomenon “crowdsourcing” (trosi torfol? ) ar gyfer cyfieithu gwefannau fel Rhaglen Gyfieithu Facebook sydd nawr wedi gorffen cyfieithu Facebook i’r Gatalaneg a’r Gymraeg. Mae hefyd ar gael mewn Saesneg Môr Ladron (gweler y dewis iaith ar dudalen gartref Facebook), ond rydym yn ansicr faint o fôr ladron go-iawn a gyfrannodd at y lleoleiddiad.

Dyma straeon cyfryngau iaith lleiafrifol yng nghylchlythyr Mercator y mis hwn

Here are the minority language media stories in the Mercator Newsletter this month :

Reprieve for Irish Language Broadcasting Fund

Galicia, Brittany and Wales request own domain names from ICANN

Catalan hospital TV is launched

Welsh and Breton bands win Nòs Ùr song contest

Free Welsh Language Digital Album Launched

Neges gan Gyngor Llyfrau Cymru / Message from the Welsh Books Council :

Beth am rannu’r pleser a gewch wrth ddarllen yr haf yma? Dyna nod WYTHNOS LLYFR YN ANRHEG y Flwyddyn Darllen Genedlaethol.

Rhwng 7 a 12 Gorffennaf bydd pobl ym mhob cwr o Gymru’n rhoi llyfrau’n anrhegion i’w teulu, eu ffrindiau a’u cydweithwyr, a hynny’n rhan o WYTHNOS LLYFR YN ANRHEG – y digwyddiad cenedlaethol cyntaf o’i fath yng Nghymru.

Cewch ymuno a hwyl yr wythnos fel y mynnwch – beth am brynu llyfr newydd i’r plant, rhannu eich hoff nofel gyda’ch ffrind gorau, neu roi ambell deitl i gydweithwyr? Wedi’r cyfan, gwell rhoi na derbyn!

Cewch ragor o wybodaeth yma neu yn eich siop lyfrau leol.

Rhannwch bleser darllen fis Gorffennaf – rhowch lyfr yn anrheg.

This summer, share your pleasure of reading during the National Year of Reading’s GIVE A BOOK WEEK.

From 7 July until 12 July, people all over Wales will be giving books to family, friends and colleagues as part of Wales’ first national GIVE A BOOK WEEK.

It’s up to you how you join in – buy a new book for your children, share a favourite novel with a friend or give a book to your colleagues at work – it’s better to give than to receive!

You can find out more here or by visiting your local bookshop.

Give the gift of reading this July – give a book.

The new issue of the Mercator newsletter is now available to read online. Just followe the link below :

Le dernier bulletin de Mercator est maintenant disponible à lire sur-ligne. Suivez le lien ci-dessous :

MERCATOR :: NEWSLETTER 41:: June 2008

BBC NEWS | Northern Ireland | £6m ‘promised to Irish language’

Er na gafwyd Deddf Iaith yng Ngogledd Iwerddon yn y diwedd mae Sinn Fein wedi sicrhau estyniad o £6m ar gyfer yr Gronfa Ddarlledu Iaith Wyddeleg yng Ngogledd Iwerddon. Mae’r rhaglenni hyn yn cyfrannu tuag at ddarpariaeth y BBC a TG4 yn ogystal â ffilmiau. Roedd y gronfa bresennol o £12m am 5 mlynedd ar fin dirwyn i ben ym Mawrth 2009.
Although no Irish Language Act came from the Good Friday Agreement in the end, it seems that Gerry Adams has managed to salvage something from its wreckage, namely an additional £6m for the NI Irish Language Broadcast Fund. This fund (currently £12m over 5 years) was due to come to an end in March 2009 but will now provide additional funds for Irish language programming on the BBC NI and TG4.