Open call for Translating and Publishing Latvian Literature Abroad 2024

To achieve the aim of the Program, IWTH organizes a Grant Program for foreign publishers to provide financial support to foreign publishers publishing Latvian prose, poetry, drama, non-fiction (essays and memoirs), journalism, literature for children and young adults, comics and graphic novels, and classic literature, thereby developing the interest of foreign publishers in Latvian literature and its translations in different languages.

The program is developed, organized, and administered by the Latvian Literature platform, and is financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.

Funding Information

• Grant applicants can apply for up to 3000 EUR financial support to cover book production costs.
• The grant does not support in-house editing, proofreading services or any marketing activities.

Eligible and Ineligible Funding

• Eligible costs within the framework of this program are:
  • Fee for the authors’ rights / licence;
  • Text editing costs, including payment for the editor and copy-editor
  • Layout and book design costs;
  • Printing costs.
• The Grant Program does not cover payments to a book project coordinator or other administrative costs.
• In-house costs are not eligible in the framework of this Grant Program.
• The Grant Program does not cover costs that has been already covered by any other source of public funds so far e.g. The State Culture Capital Foundation, The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, and others;
• The eligible costs are only those costs paid after the final results are announced, the contract is signed and costs that are occurring until the end date of the Grant Contract.

Eligibility Criteria

• The program provides financial support to foreign publishers who are publishing Latvian literature, thereby promoting the interest of foreign publishers in Latvian literature and its translations into different languages.
• Any foreign publisher who is a legal entity and has experience working with foreign authors is eligible to take part in the grant program.

Evaluation Criteria 

• Translation language, its distribution area, and the number of users.
• The applicant’s activities and reputation.
• Planned marketing activities.
• Accuracy of Project budget, compliance with the market situation, etc.
• Literary work selected for translation.
• Cultural context.
• Quality of translation (if necessary).
• Copyrights and contracts with the author.

For more information, visit Latvian Literature.