The First Round of Icelandic Translation Grants are Awarded to a Vast Array of International Literature

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The Icelandic Literature Center has announced the first of its grant allocations for translations into Icelandic. As part of the government’s response to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on publishing and on the work of authors and translators in Iceland, considerably more funding was allocated this year than last year. Opinion polls indicate that a majority of Icelanders desire to read books from other countries in their own language, emphasizing the importance of these grant allocations.

Grants have been awarded to projects that span a wide range, including novels, short stories, poetry, books for children and young readers, ancient history, memoirs and scholarly works, as well as picture-books for the youngest readers. One-third of the translation grants have been awarded to books for children and young readers. 

Translations will be from Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Latin, Russian and Spanish, so Icelandic readers can look forward to plenty of interesting reading from around the world.

The following are a handful of literary works receiving grants:

• Adult books:
  • Der Zauberberg by Thomas Mann
  • Herkunft by Sasa Stanisic
  • The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar.
  • Largo Pétalo de Mar by Isabel Allende. 
  • La Vita Bugiarda Degli Adulti by Elena Ferrante
  • Illusions Perdues by Honoré de Balzac
  • Factfulness by Hans Rosling, Anna Rönnlund Rosling & Ola Rosling
  • The Rumi Collection by Jalaluddin Rumi
  • Berg by Ann Quin
  • King Kong Théorie by Virginie Despentes
  • Wunschloses Unglück by Peter Handke
  • Salón de Belleza by Mario Bellatin
• Books for children & Young adults:
  • Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud & Mark Martin. 
  • The Ice Monster by David Walliams
  • Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl 
  • Mortina by Barbara Cantini
  • The Bolds on Holiday by Julian Clary 
  • L’enfant by Colas Gutman & Delphine Perret
  • Anne of Ingleside by E. M. Montgomery
  • One Of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Do you see any of your favorite books on the list? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!