Following the official announcement by the Spanish Ministry of Culture on 13 March, Granada has taken a decisive step forward: it is now an official finalist in the running to become European Capital of Culture (ECOC) in 2031. Having made the shortlist, the city is now through to the final stage of the selection process, alongside Cáceres, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Oviedo.
At the heart of Granada’s candidacy is its Bid Book, which was submitted by the city in December 2025 and presented before the Panel of Experts in Madrid on 10 March. Given that the official document assessed by the panel is the English version, the UGR has played a pivotal role in enabling Granada to continue on its path towards becoming the ECOC in 2031.
The UGR translation team’s mission was to accurately convey Granada’s identity, cultural richness and message to the panel, ensuring that no nuances were lost in translation. They were also tasked with guaranteeing the proposal’s compliance with the standards of clarity and consistency required by the European Commission.
In addition to the Bid Book, the team was responsible for translating the official ‘Granada 2031’ website (https://2031granada.org/en/), over 50 press releases covering the candidacy’s progress, and for subtitling the Mayor’s official message on Granada’s bid. The team also translated key institutional documents, including the city’s Declaration of Honour and official application letter.
A team with extensive experience in international bids
In a project where every detail counts, the expertise of the team responsible for translating the Bid Book into English has given the city a key competitive edge. The project has drawn on a group with a proven track record in linguistics and the development of large-scale European proposals. The lead translators, Alan Hewitt and Alec Weedon (both from the UGR’s Language Services Unit), previously coordinated the translation of Granada’s successful bid for the 2030 European Universities Games (EUSA). Meanwhile, Dorothy Kelly is a full professor at the UGR’s Faculty of Translation and Interpreting, as well as Coordinator of the Arqus Alliance. She has also served as a member of the European Group of Translation Experts appointed by the European Commission. For his part, Julian Bourne is a permanent lecturer at the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting with an extensive academic career in the field of Spanish-English translation, focusing primarily on the social sciences and humanities.
Technical expertise and intercultural knowledge
To ensure the quality of the English texts, the team adopted a systematic and professional workflow, drawing on their expertise in areas including intercultural communication, terminology management, and specialised translation and revision.
While noting the importance of applying advanced knowledge of translation technologies to projects of this scale, the team emphasise that the success of the project has hinged, above all, on the human factor. In a proposal designed to inspire and convince an international panel, the translation team’s creativity and intercultural awareness have provided the kind of added value that automated tools cannot replicate.
Effective collaboration between the UGR and the NGR Foundation
This translation project has been made possible thanks to a collaboration agreement between the UGR and the New Ground Research Foundation designed to support Granada’s bid for European Capital of Culture 2031.
This strategic agreement has enhanced the international reach of the Granada 2031 project, further demonstrating that the city has the necessary support and technical expertise to establish itself as Europe’s next cultural powerhouse.
Contact details:
Alan Hewitt
Email: @email
