Circulation of European Literary Works 2026

Publication of the Call: 15 October 2025

Deadline for submitting applications: 29 January 2026 17:00:00 CET (Brussels Brussels time).

Status: Open for Submission

The Creative Europe programme provides an opportunity, through its Translation Grant, to support the translation, publication, and promotion of literary works by authors from participating countries, including novels, short stories, poems, comics, fairy tales, literary essays, plays, and more.

Eligibility Criteria

Who can apply

Publishers or publishing houses established in one of the Creative Europe – Culture sub-programme participating countries, holding the status of a legal entity. Individual persons are not eligible to apply for this grant.

Budget

• For small-scale projects, the grant cannot exceed EUR 100,000, with a minimum of 5 books to be translated.

• For medium-scale projects, the grant cannot exceed EUR 200,000, with a minimum of 11 books to be translated.

• For large-scale projects, the grant cannot exceed EUR 300,000, with a minimum of 21 books to be translated, and must involve a consortium of partners.

  
  

Mandatory project requirements

• Translation, publication, and distribution of a package of 5 to 21 literary works;

• A strategy for the translation, publication, distribution, and promotion of the selected literary works;

• Maximum duration: 36 months;

• Works must originate from the literature of Creative Europe participating countries;

• Selected works must not have been previously translated into the target language.

Activities eligible for funding include:

• Translation, publication, and distribution of literary works;

• As well as activities related to specific themes and priorities of the programme.

Expected Impact:

The action is expected to support around 40 projects, implemented either by a single entity (mono-beneficiary) or by a consortium of organisations (multi-beneficiary).

Each project will:

• promote the diversity of literature in the target country (or countries) by including works of fiction, with particular emphasis on those written in less widely translated languages;

• support the profession of literary translator and respect the principle of fair remuneration;

• propose the most effective distribution and promotion strategies, and the most appropriate book format, in order to ensure wide and easy access to European literary works and to contribute to the development of the readership of European literature;

• encourage collaboration between different actors of the book value chain: authors, translators, publishers, distributors, booksellers, libraries, literary events or festivals;

• contribute to the EU overarching priorities.

Objective:

This action supports projects that translate, publish, distribute, and promote European works of fiction.

Themes and priorities

In line with the current cultural policy priorities, applicants should propose projects contributing to:

2. The following specific priorities:

1. to increase the transnational circulation and the diversity of European literary works, through the translation, publication, distribution, and promotion of works of fiction, with particular emphasis on those written in less widely translated languages.

2. to promote reading and the linguistic and cultural diversity of European literature to a large audience.

3. to support the profession of literary translator, in line with the principles of good working conditions and fair remuneration publishers should ensure that the names of the translators appear visibly in published books, and preferably on the cover, and that the source language is clearly mentioned.

4. to increase the competitiveness of the book sector by encouraging cooperation between different actors within the book value chain, notably between publishers, booksellers, and libraries.

This action complements the other initiatives or actions under Creative Europe support to the book and publishing sector such as the European Authors Day (reading promotion and discovery of European literature) and the European Union Prize for Literature (promotion of European emerging authors). Applicants are encouraged to look for synergies.

In addition, as part of the exceptional support to Ukraine, applicants will be encouraged to propose activities facilitating the circulation/translation of books from and/or intoUkraine, as well as their translation into or from Ukrainian. In addition, projects aimed at providing books in the Ukrainian language to Ukrainian refugees and displaced people will be encouraged. In this context, the printing in Ukrainian of (non-translated)Ukrainian books will be eligible.

To support the profession of literary translator, in accordance with the principles of good working conditions and fair remuneration, it is recommended that between 20 and 30% of the total project budget is allocated to the remuneration of translators and that translators are given recognition and visibility, particularly being credited, preferably on the cover page. Furthermore, publishers must sign contracts with professional literary translators, and reference them in the Creative Europe database. In this regard, publishers should respect national standards and follow best practices, referring to and using, the ‘Translators on the cover’ report and, as an example, the ‘Guidelines for fair translation contracts’ drawn up by CEATL.

Scope:

Translation, publication, promotion, and distribution activities as well as activities addressing the themes and priorities described above. More specifically:

• Work packages of eligible works of fiction to be translated, published, distributed, and promoted, based on a sound editorial, distribution and promotion strategy.

• Activities to facilitate collaboration between different actors of the book and publishing value chain - authors, translators, publishers, distributors, booksellers, libraries, literary events or festivals.

The proposed activities should be grouped, in the application form (part B), in coherent work packages (i.e., major sub-division of the project). Each work package must have a corresponding list of activities, deliverables, milestones, and critical risks.

Applicants must provide all documents specified and required in the electronic application forms through the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System.

Comprehensive information about the programme, the full text of the guidelines, and other relevant details are available HERE.