Readers worldwide will soon have the opportunity to explore 25 new books by Lithuanian authors, translated into 19 languages. The funds from the first round of the 2025 Translation grants, organized by the Lithuanian Culture Institute (LCI), have been allocated for the translation and publication of two poetry books, nine novels, an art album, a guide for the theater community, documentary artist notes, a special publication representing Lithuanian literature in a literary magazine, and ten illustrated children’s books. 

The diversity of languages is impressive: among those selected for funding, four books will be translated into Latvian, two each into Belarusian, Japanese, and German, and one each into Albanian, English, Azerbaijani, Czech, Danish, Estonian, Spanish, Italian, Georgian, Korean, Macedonian, Dutch, French, Swedish, and Ukrainian. 

A total of €62,200 from the Lithuanian state budget has been allocated at the first round of the selection competition. In the spring stage of the competition, to be announced in March, an additional nearly €40,000 will be distributed to selected foreign publishers. Detailed lists of funded translations can be found here: 

According to LCI director Julija Reklaitė, the Translation grants are an integral part of the Institute’s ecosystem of activities: “Book translations and the books themselves reach the hands of readers worldwide as part of our consistent work with Lithuanian literature translators, publishers, visits of publishing professionals to Lithuania, presentations of literary trends and support opportunities at international book fairs, the activities of the cultural attaché network, and concentrated national presentations in ‘focus’ projects. Each book, in turn, becomes a window into our country’s culture, history, and creative context.” 

“It is very gratifying that the interest of foreign publishers is growing, as we see from the variety of genres they choose and from the distribution of already published books, presenting authors on various platforms and at international literary events,” said J. Reklaitė.

It is also important to note that the translations are the result of the long-term work of the LCI and other Lithuanian literature and publishing professionals. 

Poetry and modern classics 

The global poetry publisher from the United Kingdom, Bloodaxe Books will release a collection of poems by Tomas Venclova titled Eufemidžių giraitė (The Grove of the Eumenides) in 2025, translated into English by three translators: Ellen Hinsey, Diana Senechal, and Rimas Uzgiris. A trilingual poetry book Iš Šiaurės Jeruzalės (From the Jerusalem of the North) featuring two poems each by 22 Lithuanian poets on Jewish themes, will be published by the German publisher Mediathoughs Verlag The poems will be published in Lithuanian, Hebrew, and German, translated into German by one of the most experienced poetry translators, Cornelius Hell from Austria. Both poetry books have received financial support. 

Lithuanian modern prose classics continually attract the attention of foreign publishers. In 2024, State funding was provided for two translations of Ričardas Gavelis’ Vilniaus pokeris (Vilnius Poker) (into Estonian and German) and Jurgis Kunčinas’ Tūla (Tula) into Albanian. This year, Ričardas Gavelis’ novel Jauno žmogaus memuarai (Memoirs of a Life Cut Short) will be released by the Spanish publisher Asociación La Tortuga Búlgara translated into Spanish by Costa Rican-born and long-time Lithuania resident translator Jordana Gonsales Krus. Jurgis Kunčinas’ ‘Tula’ is being prepared for release by the Estonian publisher Kultuurileht. This cult novel of the Soviet sunset will be translated into Estonian by Lithuanian literature expert and prolific translator Tiina Kattel. 

An intriguing application came from Japan, where the publisher Green seed books plans to release the Lithuanian children’s literature classic Vytautė Žilinskaitė’s book Robotas ir peteliškė (The Robot and the Moth) illustrated by Stasys Eidrigevičius. It will be translated into Japanese by Eiko Sakurai, a scholar and lecturer at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and Osaka University, and author of Lithuanian language textbooks and numerous scientific publications on Lithuanian politics, society, culture, and literature. 

Considered a classic of Lithuanian art, the album-catalog Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis Tapyba (Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis Painting) is being prepared by the Ukrainian publisher Helvetica Publishing House. The articles reviewing Čiurlionis’ work, a comprehensive catalog of works, and other album texts will be translated into Ukrainian by Beatričė Beliavciv, the most active translator of Lithuanian literature into Ukrainian, who has lived in Lviv for more than two decades. Interest in Jonas Mekas’ work remains strong – a 50-page notebook Scrapbook of the Sixties: Writings 1954-2010 will be published by the Italian publisher Quodlibet. The book is translated from English into Italian by Giuseppe Lucchesini. 

The French publisher Les Éditions Bleu et Jaune will release Danutė Kalinauskaitė’s novel Baltieji prieš juoduosius (White vs. Black) translated by Paris-based Lithuanian translator Miglė Dulskytė. 

Constant attention from neighbor 

The tradition of Latvian and Estonian publishers’ attention to the latest Lithuanian literature is largely due to the efforts of translators and experts, Latvian Dace Meiere and Estonian Tiina Kattel. 

Thanks to Dace Meiere, Latvian readers, just a couple of years after the books’ publication in Lithuania, can already read the most resonant works of Lithuanian writers in Latvian. Having translated all of Kristina Sabaliauskaitė’s historical novels, the translator has taken on Mantas Adomėnas’ Moneta & labirintas (The Coin and the Labyrinth) (the first part, also translated by Dace, will appear this spring, and the second part is planned for release this November). Popular novels in Lithuania are published in Latvia by Zvaigzne ABC. 

Another regular publisher of Lithuanian literature in Latvia, Jāņa Rozes apgāds is preparing to release the latest book by Kotryna Zylė – an adult-oriented novel Mylimi kaulai (Beloved Bones) also translated by Dace Meiere. She has translated two more works by this author for teenagers, Sukeistas (Swapped, 2019) and Siela sumuštinių dėžutėje (A Soul in a Sandwich Box, 2023), also published by Jāņa Rozes apgāds. All translations received support from the Translation funding competition. 

The most successful works by Lithuanian authors for children also quickly find their way into Latvian and Estonian bookstores. Last year, both translators translated Marius Marcinkevičius and Lina Itagaki’s graphic novel Mergaitė su šautuvu (Girl with a Rifle) into their languages (the book appeared in Latvia in 2024, and it is planned to be released in Estonia this year). Earlier, in 2020 in Latvia and 2022 in Estonia, translations of the most successful graphic novel Sibiro haiku (Siberian Haiku) by Jurga Vilė and Lina Itagaki were published. 

This year, funding was also allocated for new translations into Latvian. Gabija Grušaitė’s novel Grybo sapnas (The Mycelium Dream) will be translated by Una Alksne and published by Vārdu vārti and Jurga Vilė and Agnė Nananai’s children’s picture book Kašalotų radijas (Cachalot Radio) will be translated by Latvian writer and translator Jana Rūce (pseudonym Jana Egle) and published by the children’s book publisher Baltais valis. 

Ambitious plans by a Belarusian publisher founded in Prague 

In 2024, through the Lithuanian literature translation funding competition were financed three translations into Belarusian, intended for publishers based outside Belarus: Giedrė Kazlauskaitė’s poetry collection (published by the Vilnius-based publisher Pflaumbaum), Antanas Škėma’s Balta drobulė (The White Shroud) and Jurgis Kunčinas’ Tula published by the Prague-based publisher Vesna Vaško founded by translator Siarhij Shupa. 

Translator Siarhij Shupa shares that he and his like-minded colleagues set out to publish the top 100 best Lithuanian books of the century, discovered in a list announced in the daily Lietuvos rytas in 2018. The first book of the hundred was Ričardas Gavelis’ Vilnius Poker published in Belarus in 2019 (translated into Belarusian by Paulina Vituščanka and published by Lohvinau). After moving to Prague, Siarhij and his colleagues founded a publishing house and continued to implement their ambitious plan. Over two years, the novels by Antanas Škėma and Jurgis Kunčinas were released, and this year the publisher will release the first two parts of Kristina Sabaliauskaitė’s tetralogy Silva rerum (translated by Siarhij Shupa), which also received funding for translation. 

Books that travel 

Among the Lithuanian books traveling the world, such as Vilnius Poker, Tula, Siberian Haiku, Dalia Grinkevičiūtė’s Lietuviai prie Laptevų jūros (Shadows on the Tundra), Alvydas Šlepikas’ Mano vardas – Marytė (In the Shadow of Wolves)and Kęstutis Kasparavičius’ picture books for children, Marius Marcinkevičius and Inga Dagilė’s (The Pebble) (2020, published by Tikra knyga) – a sensitive and courageous picture book telling children about the darkest chapter of Lithuanian history – the fate of Vilnius ghetto residents. The Lithuanian Culture Institute has already supported its translations to eight languages. In 2025, financial support is allocated for two more translations: into Danish (translator Stefan Anbro, publisher Straarup & Co) and into Japanese (translator Aya Kimura, publisher Choubunsha Publishing co). This year, the book will also appear in Ukraine, with its publication funded by competition funds. 

Evelina Daciūtė and Aušra Kiudulaitė’s book Laimė yra lapė (The Fox on the Swing) also has an impressive travel route, with children in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Estonia, Poland, Macedonia, Ukraine, and the United States able to read it. This year, thanks to the joint efforts of translator Anna Sedláčková, publisher Nakladatelství Paseka, and the Translation grants, Czech children will also get to know the heroes of this popular Lithuanian children’s picture book. The geography of Kęstutis Kasparavičius’ books will expand with the Albanian edition of the picture book Meškelionė. Didžioji kalėdinė Meškinų šeimynos kelionė aplink pasaulį (The Great Christmas Trip of the Bear Family Around the World) which has already traveled to many countries (translator Ajsela Koka, publisher Dritan Publishing House). 

The Translation Promotion Program has been running since 2001. During this period, more than 650 book translations into 43 world languages have been funded.