Fraternity-Testvériség, 2010 (88. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2010-01-01 / 1. szám
Fraternity I Testvériség Miklós Zrínyi: Siege of Sziget F or the first time in its history, the entire Siege of Sziget, Miklós Zrinyi’s landmark work, is translated into English. László Kőrössy, Dr. Katalin Kőrössy, HRFA Medical Advisor’s son, voluntarily translated the novel, which is one of the most remarkable works of Hungarian literature. We ask the Hungarian community in the United States to help with the printing and publishing costs of this book with a donation made payable to the Catholic University of America, which has agreed to publish his work, and by spreading the word among their friends who have an interest in Hungarian culture, literature and the valued work, Siege of Sziget. Please read the letter from László Kőrössy so you understand the value of his contribution to Hungarian and American readers. Dear Friends, I graduated last year from the Catholic University of America with a degree in History and Politics. In 2005, my sophomore year, I began a translation of the Szigeti Veszedelem. By the grace of God, I am excited and astonished to have the honor of announcing the completion of the first English translation of the entire Siege of Sziget. Miklós Zrinyi’s landmark work is rich with theology and philosophy, history and patriotic spirit, and rightly deserves its place in the canon of Hungarian literature. The translation is literal rather than poetic, seeking to be as true to the original as possible to allow the riches of Zrinyi’s thought and ideals to shine through authentically. It is humbling that my alma mater has agreed to publish the work. CUA Press has recruited the talents of two distinguished scholars, Prof. Steven Várdy ofDuquesne University and Prof Emeritus George Gömöri of Cambridge Miklós Zrínyi: Siege of Sziget University to write literary and historical introductions and notes. The task being undertaken by Drs. Várdy and Gömöri is formidable and time-consuming but will raise the finished product from the level of a mere translation to a critical academic work, accessible to those who have no experience with the original text and those who wish to delve deeper into the riches it offers. The primary purpose of academic publishing is not to generate cash or prestige but to make important works available to the public that in many cases would not be commercially viable. As it does not evaluate texts according to whether they will turn a profit, CUA Press does not necessarily have the funds available to cover additional expenses that may be attached to publishing certain books. The need for two additional scholars to give Zrinyi’s work the treatment it deserves is one such significant incidental expense that requires additional funding. At present, a sum of $2,000 would be required to reimburse all the work being done on the prospective book. Academically published books, however, carry a larger price tag than most commercial books we are used to seeing on store bookshelves, and any additional funds raised would be used to offset manufacturing costs and lower the final cover price of the book—thereby making it more accessible to the public. I hope that by relying on the generosity of the Hungarian community here in America, it will not only be possible to move this essential work toward publication but also to spread the news that Zrinyi’s masterpiece will soon be available to all those who may have an interest in Hungarian culture and history but who perhaps have so far been unable to engage it because of language barriers. The process is slow, and we expect to have the book published sometime in late 2010 or early 2011, but the Szigeti Veszedelem is now finally on track to what will be the widest exposure and the largest audience it has encountered in the past 350 years. All donations are tax exempt (# 53-0196583). Checks should be made payable to the Catholic University of America Press designated Siege of Sziget, and sent to: David J. McGonagle, Director The Catholic University of America Press 620 Michigan Avenue, NE 240 Leahy Hall Washington, DC 20064 Thank you for your time and support. Sincerely, László Kőrössy
