FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange was founded in 1977 by the Finnish education ministry as a department of the Finnish Literature Society. We provide expertise and support for the export of Finnish literature.
Our mission is to support and promote the publication of Finnish literature in translation around the world.
We support publishing professionals in Finland and abroad, build networks and connect professionals, award grants to publishers and bring translators of Finnish literature together.
The category of “Finnish literature” includes works written in Finnish, Finland-Swedish and Sámi.
Our activities and grants cover the entire range of genres: fiction, poetry, general non-fiction, children’s and young adult (YA) books, and comics and graphic novels.
Literary agencies and publishers’ foreign rights departments represent authors and handle foreign rights sales.
FILI’s key activities:
- awarding translation grants, travel grants and promotion grants approximately €700,000 for over 400 different projects
- bringing publishers from around the world to Finland for Editors’ Week events
- taking part in major international book fairs (Frankfurt, London, Bologna, Gothenburg)
- organising training for translators of Finnish literature
- maintaining a database of Finnish literature in translation
- gathering data on foreign rights deals.
Get in touch with us if you
- are interested in our grants
- know of a publisher that’s interested in Finnish literature
- translate literature from Finnish / Finland-Swedish / Sámi and aren’t already listed in our directory
- know of a Finnish book in translation that’s not in our database
- want to know more about literary exports.
Networks
We are part of the NordLit network alongside our fellow Nordic literature promotion agencies.
FILI is also a member of ENLIT, the European Network for Literary Translations.
In Finland, we are part of the TAIVE network of arts information organisations. We are also a member of KULTA ry, Finland’s central organisation for culture and arts associations.
FILI’s values
FILI’s values are reliability, openness and equality. Our work is based on professionalism, diversity and active dialogue. Our actions are guided by accountability.
