A three-year joint project has been launched to enable Finnish literary agencies to commission substantial, high-quality sample translations. The project is supported by FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange and the Lauri Jäntti Foundation.
Grants are available for works of narrative non-fiction for general audiences and children’s non-fiction books that have significant global potential. The Lauri Jäntti Foundation will provide an additional €5,000 in funding for the project annually. The joint funding from FILI and the Lauri Jäntti Foundation will give literary agencies the financial capability to commission significantly longer sample translations than usual for books with major export potential. Long sample translations are a crucial factor in promoting sales of translation rights.
The project aims to increase interest in Finnish-language non-fiction books among publishers outside Finland and to achieve a lasting increase in international sales of translation rights for Finnish books.
Literary agencies can apply for these grants via FILI’s sample grants programme.
“Many high-quality works of non-fiction with international sales potential are published every year in Finland. In our joint project with FILI, we want to help transform this potential into sales of translation rights and books. We are also supporting the Finnish non-fiction brand in the global marketplace. For a ‘small’ language like Finnish, international markets represent significant additional sales potential for books,” said Claes von Heiroth, Chairman of the Board of the Lauri Jäntti Foundation.
“Non-fiction is a growing segment in the global literary marketplace, and there’s no reason why Finnish non-fiction books shouldn’t have a piece of the action. Literary agents already do a lot of excellent work, but they need a substantial, high-quality sample translation in order to secure foreign rights deals. We are delighted to be able to support this work together with the Lauri Jäntti Foundation. I’m absolutely certain this project will lead to an increase in rights deals around the world for Finnish non-fiction books,” said Tiia Strandén, Director of FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange.
Tukea agentuurit voivat hakea FILIn näytekäännöstukiohjelmasta.
