National Literature Series
What is a Literature Series?
A National Literature series is a long-term commitment to the partner country’s literature and culture that will ensure ongoing promotion and study of the country’s life and art. The series ensures publication in English of two to four books per year from the partner country over a period of five years. The books are distributed throughout the world in print and electronic formats and are accompanied by a multi-year marketing plan promoting the series as a whole.
Series include multi-year initiatives with Hebrew, Catalan, Norwegian, Slovenian, Korean, Georgian, and Swiss Literatures.
Why is there a need for a country-specific Literature Series?
The publication of literary translations in the English-speaking world has dramatically decreased in the past two decades. Much of the best international literature remains unknown and underrepresented in anglophone countries and the cultural richness and diversity of individual countries is not made available to English readers.
It is often said that books in translation have no market and are therefore unprofitable – they pass through the market unnoticed and forgotten. A series, however, allows the books to reach a wider audience as they can be promoted over a number of years and placed in a wider cultural context.
What are the benefits of a Series?
Training of young or beginning translators
One of the goals of the series is to work with translation students at universities in the United States, United Kingdom, and the Series partner country and involve them in the publishing process by having them create sample translations, write readers’ reports, and participate in the editing process.
Increased visibility of a country’s language in the English-speaking world
The Series books are presented to associations of high school and college-level foreign language teachers, and marketed for classroom adoption at university level throughout both the United States and the United Kingdom.
In addition, sample translations and readers’ reports in English are made available on the partner’s website, to be used by other publishers around the world in order to encourage translation of texts into other languages.
Dissemination and Promotion of the works
The books are distributed throughout English-speaking countries and English-language bookstores in other countries, as well as available electronically.
Marketing initiatives for the Series are coordinated with appropriate government agencies that promote the partner country’s literature and culture at large. The series is promoted extensively on Dalkey Archive’s website as well as in English-language media, and is accompanied by readings, annual launches, and events at embassies, international book festivals, universities, libraries, and bookstores.
Who can support such a series?
Dalkey Archive Press is looking for partners in any country to initiate several Literature Series. Partners can include, but are not limited to, Ministries of Culture, funding agencies, embassies (Culture and or Tourism Offices), foundations, and private individuals.
Countries and organizations that wish to receive more information on this program should contact Chad W. Post (chad@deepvellum.org)
