There is a great international interest in Swedish literature. The Swedish Arts Council is the authority with responsibility for promoting Swedish literature in translation. Through Swedish Literature Exchange we coordinate a number of efforts within the field.
Grants for Translation and Promotion
Grants for international promotion of Swedish literature and drama
This grant aims to promote the international dissemination of high-quality Swedish literature and Swedish drama and to enable international exchanges in the field.
Translation of Swedish drama for stage performance
This grant aims to make it possible for more Swedish theatre plays in translation to be performed on stage abroad.
Grants for translation of Swedish literature and drama (Non-Nordic languages)
This grant aims to promote translation of Swedish literature into other, non-Nordic, languages.
Swedish Bookshelf
Explore our bookshelf and read about Swedish books
Our Grants
Fundig schemes and lists over allocated grants
Swedish Literature Exchange
How we promote Swedish literature in translation
Contact us
Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Facebook or send us an email!
For publishers, theatres and organisers
Funding schemes for translation and promotion
For translators
Find out more about our grants and activities for translators
More Swedish Books for Young Readers
In our new publication we introduce you to exciting children’s and YA authors writing in Swedish today. They are authors who have already found readers in other languages and have the potential to reach even more. The publication is a standalone follow-up to the edition from 2020.
New Swedish Voices
Are you curious about which new voices in Swedish fiction we’re listening to right now? Then this publication is for you!
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Cover illustration by Amanda Jonsson. From the book Sally is Grumpy. More Swedish Books for Young Readers
In our new publication we introduce you to exciting children’s and YA authors writing in Swedish today. They are authors who have already found readers in other languages and have the potential to reach even more. The publication is a standalone follow-up to the edition from 2020.
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New Swedish Voices
Are you curious about which new voices in Swedish fiction we’re listening to right now? Then this publication is for you!
News
Swedish Literature Across the Continents
For the fourth distribution round of grants for international promotion of Swedish literature and drama in 2024, we approved 15 applications. In this allocation, we are happy to see applications from a wide range of countries outside Europe, enabling Swedish literature to reach both new and returning readers.
The August Prize 2024
Three award winners of the August Prize 2024 and the title Best Swedish Book of the Year were announced on November 25th in the categories Fiction, Non-fiction, and Children's and Youth Literature.
Exchanges are vital for the world of translation
The third application round for grants for translators received a high number of applications, particularly for our residency program in Stockholm. Many of the approved applications focus on participation in workshops and conferences. We also see an increased interest in sample translations for the Japanese book market.
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Literature and translation
Swedish Literature Across the Continents
For the fourth distribution round of grants for international promotion of Swedish literature and drama in 2024, we approved 15 applications. In this allocation, we are happy to see applications from a wide range of countries outside Europe, enabling Swedish literature to reach both new and returning readers.
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Literature and translation
The August Prize 2024
Three award winners of the August Prize 2024 and the title Best Swedish Book of the Year were announced on November 25th in the categories Fiction, Non-fiction, and Children's and Youth Literature.
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Literature and translation
Exchanges are vital for the world of translation
The third application round for grants for translators received a high number of applications, particularly for our residency program in Stockholm. Many of the approved applications focus on participation in workshops and conferences. We also see an increased interest in sample translations for the Japanese book market.
Translator's Choice
The House with the Two Towers
In The House with the Two Towers (Huset med de två tornen), Maciej Zaremba dissects the events of his parents’ lives and how their war experiences led to an inevitable separation. Janny Middelbeek-Oortgiesen, who translates into Dutch, recommends a book that draws a finely nuanced portrait of childhood in post-war Poland.
Who Does Suzanne Osten Think She Is?
Who Does Suzanne Osten Think She Is? is more than a magnificent and colourful portrait of one of the greatest theatre and film directors of our time. It is a portrait of a zeitgeist. Ana Valdés, who translates into Spanish, recommends Suzanne Osten’s autobiography published in 2021.
W by Steve Sem-Sandberg
Emöke Andersson Lipcsey, who translates into Hungarian, recommends a book based on the life of the historical figure Johann Christian Woyzeck. The author Steve Sem-Sandberg uses W.’s fate to paint a shocking, true picture of how the brutality of war can affect and warp the character of the individual.
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Translator's Choice
The House with the Two Towers
In The House with the Two Towers (Huset med de två tornen), Maciej Zaremba dissects the events of his parents’ lives and how their war experiences led to an inevitable separation. Janny Middelbeek-Oortgiesen, who translates into Dutch, recommends a book that draws a finely nuanced portrait of childhood in post-war Poland.
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Translator's Choice
Who Does Suzanne Osten Think She Is?
Who Does Suzanne Osten Think She Is? is more than a magnificent and colourful portrait of one of the greatest theatre and film directors of our time. It is a portrait of a zeitgeist. Ana Valdés, who translates into Spanish, recommends Suzanne Osten’s autobiography published in 2021.
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Translator's Choice
W by Steve Sem-Sandberg
Emöke Andersson Lipcsey, who translates into Hungarian, recommends a book based on the life of the historical figure Johann Christian Woyzeck. The author Steve Sem-Sandberg uses W.’s fate to paint a shocking, true picture of how the brutality of war can affect and warp the character of the individual.