MET-APTIC meetings

2019

14 June 2019

APTIC-MET translation slam

APTIC marked the end of its business year in style. Our Catalan colleagues hosted a translation slam with a difference. Translators Esther Tallada and Maia Figueroa both worked from the same piece of prize-winning flash fiction by Angela Readman, but with a twist: Esther’s translation was in Catalan, Maia’s, in Spanish. There was plenty to discuss over a glass of wine, all under the watchful eye of MET moderator extraordinaire Kymm Coveney.


2018

May 2018

Wine tasting hosted by Nika Shevela

During this 2.5-hour guided wine tasting, attendees sampled four different wines, paired with snacks. The theme of the tasting was the new Spanish appellations and categories, including the new Bierzo DO classification, inspired by the Burgundy appellation system, and Cava de Paraje Cualificado, a name for a new wave of premium cavas. This trilingual event proved to be the perfect excuse for linguists to get away from their desks and explore the world of wine in the company of a true expert.

ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

Nika Shevela, a specialist in wine and words, offers language-related services in wine and tourism including website translation, consecutive interpreting, wine tastings and wine consultancy for a range of clients across Europe and beyond, from her base in Barcelona, Spain.

March 2018

A millennial's approach to running a business

Millennials are much maligned. Enter Maeva Cifuentes to speak in defence of her peers. She detailed how she makes the most of her generation’s most characteristic features – flexibility and tech-savviness to name but two – and how these qualities can help millennials succeed in business. Attendees picked up techniques for managing their time, being present on social media and maintaining a local community while travelling – top tips for the modern world of work.

ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

Maeva Cifuentes is a French and Spanish to English translator and copywriter. She runs her business on the go, spending half of the month in Barcelona and travelling the rest of the time. When in Barcelona, she runs a Facebook group for translators where she organizes monthly informal get-togethers and co-working days.


2017

March-June 2017

The first of our four spring meetings took us back to an old favourite: the CAT Tradicionàrius bar in Gràcia, Barcelona. The venue also hosts a Wednesday night concert series, Les Vespres dels dimecres, so we all enjoyed some live folk music after our meeting.

In April, we celebrated Sant Jordi, the Catalan day of love and literature, with a festive book swap at the gorgeous Bar Glaciar on Plaça Reial in Barcelona. A month later, we decamped to the lovely Bar Glaciar terrace on Plaça Reial for a work-themed show-and-tell. Attendees shared their experiences of working in translation teams, healthy habits and the books they gave/received on Sant Jordi.

The spring 2017 season closed in June with a celebratory dinner at El dinàmic de BCN in the Sant Antoni neighbourhood. Thank you to everyone for making our spring season a success!

2016

November 2016

The last MET-APTIC meeting of 2016 was a resounding success. Thirty-five language professionals attended the talk by Alicia Martorell, who provided an insightful and entertaining look at how IT technology has changed our profession since the early 1980s.

This was followed by a lively group discussion on the pros and cons of translating in the digital age.

Many stayed on for a festive networking dinner at the lovely Teatreneu in Gràcia (Barcelona) to celebrate the success of these joint events, which have been going strong for five years. Plans are under way for the spring season, and the organizers welcome any ideas for talks, activities and new venues.

September 2016

First MET-APTIC outing

In September 2016, MET and APTIC teamed up to offer their members an exceptional opportunity to learn about wine, enjoy a day in the country and network with colleagues. This special edition of our MET-APTIC Meetings took us to beautiful Barberà de la Conca where we explored the vineyards, talked about translating for the wine industry, visited a historic “wine cathedral” and got to know the next generation of local winemakers. And enjoyed some excellent wine, of course! Given the positive feedback we received from members of both associations, we hope to organize a second edition in the near future.