LCB diplomatique is an international news portal founded by Literary Colloquium Berlin (LCB). It is an alternative forum where literary people from all over the world report on political aspects of their everyday lives.
I helped to found LCB diplomatique, which was launched on October 28th 2019. Given the reporting role of the contributors, my experience as a journalist and translator was fundamental to the development of LCB diplomatique. I was the one to suggest that the authors should send not only a short text, but provide images, whether a photograph, a drawing, or even a painting. The only condition was that the pictures be of their own making. Part of my vision was also to push LCB diplomatique to adopt a Literary Journalism perspective. I insisted on the idea that authors cast light on the ‘little’ things, the details that don’t make the big press conferences, and to turn the spotlight on their immediate surroundings.
With the publication of “Ode to my friends” on May 17th 2021 – a powerful text accompanied by an impressive painting, both by Indonesian author Nuril Basri – my time as editor of LCB diplomatique came to an end. It was the 84th piece I had the honor to publish in the context of my work for LCB.
Since our beginnings in 2019, I have updated LCB diplomatique every Monday, without exception. All texts were published in their original language along with English and German translations. Finding translators for different languages was one of my weekly tasks, along with choosing authors, editing their pieces, filling out contracts, preparing for publication, doing social media work, newsletter etc. In brief, it has been a one-man-project!
Of the 84 pieces I published, 33 of them came from European countries – a majority, but, given the fact that LCB diplomatique is a Berlin-based project, I’m more than satisfied that – because of me – we also had 19 pieces from Asia, 15 from Africa, 14 from the American continent (including seven from North America and seven from South America) and even three from the Australian continent.
Period of publications as editor-in-chief: From October 28th 2019 to May 17th 2021.
Take a look at LCB diplomatique !