Lithuanian literature to spread from Peru to Sri Lanka

Lithuanian literature is set to reach readers from Peru to Sri Lanka through a significant translation funding program. Experts have approved the translation of 32 books by Lithuanian authors into 20 languages, a move designed to expand the global reach of the nation's literary works.

The initiative will see multiple books translated into Spanish and Ukrainian, with others reaching audiences in Albanian, Belarusian, Czech, Italian, Latvian, Polish, Swedish, and German. Notably, the program also supports translations into less common languages, such as Assamese for Kęstutis Kasparavičius's picture book "Tinginių šalis" (Land of the Lazy) and Sinhala for Beno Bėrant and Tania Rex's "Ponas Kampas" (Mr. Square), which will be published in Sri Lanka.

Rūta Mėlinskaitė, coordinator of the funding competition, expressed the institute's appreciation for each translation project, calling the arrival of newly published books a "true celebration." This sentiment highlights the dedication involved, from translators and editors to artists and publishers, in bringing Lithuanian stories to the world stage.

The second phase of the translation program for 2026-2027 will allocate over 85,000 euros to translate 17 adult books and 15 illustrated children's books. With Lithuania's Year in Germany and its prominent presence at the Gothenburg Book Fair in Sweden, translations into Swedish and German are particularly prioritized. This includes Laimonas Briedis's historical study "Vilnius savas ir svetimas" and Giedrė Kazlauskaitė's poetry collection "Marialė" into Swedish, and Žemaitė's "Autobiografija" and Herkus Kunčius's novel "Kolūkio metraščiai" into German.

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We value and cherish every translation project participating in the competition, every book by Lithuanian authors published abroad. The day when a package with six book copies, still smelling of the printing house, arrives at the Lithuanian Culture Institute's office is a true celebration for those of us who contributed slightly to the book's birth, crowning the long and meticulous work of translators, editors, artists, printers, and publishers.