Literature
The IRL has advanced Catalan literature internationally by supporting the translation of Catalan works into other languages and maintaining a consistent and growing presence at international fairs and festivals. This year, the Literature Department set a record, awarding 579 grants in areas such as translation, illustrated works, promotion, editorial production, mobility for authors, promotional materials, and residencies for translators.
Among these figures, we highlight the 197 translations of original literary and intellectual works in Catalan and Occitan into other languages, a 41.7% increase compared to 2023. This figure is growing year after year. The translation of children's and young adult literature has been sustained and strengthened, featuring writers like Toni Galmés and Meritxell Martí; classic authors such as Jacint Verdaguer, Montserrat Roig, Vicent Andrés Estellés, J.V. Foix, and Mercè Rodoreda; as well as modern and contemporary poets like Jaume Pont, Mireia Calafell, and Antònia Vicens, among many others. In terms of contemporary fiction and non-fiction authors, the publication of works by writers such as Alba Dedeu, Irene Solà, Pol Guasch, Miquel de Palol, Gemma Ruiz Palà, Sebastià Alzamora, Anna Pazos, Regina Rodríguez, Joan-Lluís Lluís, and Marina Garcés is noteworthy. You can view all translations published throughout the year here. The most translated languages have once again been Spanish, Italian, French and English, with a notable increase in German and Portuguese, both from Portugal and Brazil.
Regarding illustrated works and graphic novels, 184 grants were awarded for international projects, a 36.3% increase from 2023. In 2025, the commitment to strengthen graphic novels will persist, and for the second time, the IRL will participate in the Angoulême Comic Festival in France with a collective stand alongside ICEC and FICOMIC, coinciding with the year when Barcelona will be the Festival's guest city.
The introduction of the new line of grants for editorial production in the genres of poetry and theatre is also notable, having been warmly received by international publishers, resulting in 32 projects.
This year, the IRL attended twelve international literary fairs, including the Angoulême International Comics Festival (France), the Cairo International Book Fair (Egypt), the Bologna Children's Book Fair (Italy), the London Book Fair (United Kingdom), the Frankfurt Book Fair (Germany), the Guadalajara International Book Fair (Mexico), and, for the first time, the Lille Poetry Market (France). Regarding the mobility of writers and illustrators, the IRL supported authors' participation in various international events through its grants for promoting works.
Three residencies for translators and a training stay for illustrators have taken place at Faberllull Olot. Notably, the residency focused on the work of Irene Solà, which occurred in May and included many of her translators, stands out. The first translation seminar into Nordic languages was held, marking another advancement for Catalan literature in the Scandinavian publishing market, a strategic linguistic focus for the Llull.
One of the main priorities for 2025 is to enhance the quantity and quality of translations by bolstering support, particularly for translating poetry, scripted theatre, and classics through targeted programmes and plans, as well as offering continuous training and support for translators of Catalan literature. Another priority is to develop a strategy for creating new opportunities in Arab countries and China. Finally, efforts will focus on increasing the number of translations of Catalan literature into the various Spanish language varieties by Latin American publishers, in a pivotal year when Barcelona will be the official guest at the Guadalajara International Book Fair.
Language
Currently, over 130 universities across 30 countries in Europe, America, and Asia offer courses in Catalan studies, with 93 of these institutions receiving financial support from the Ramon Llull Institute. In the 2024-25 academic year, University College Dublin (Ireland) and Université Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3 (France) joined the XarxaLlull network, and 4,027 students have enrolled in a Catalan course.
Within the Llull Network, it is noteworthy that Catalan is taught at 10 of the world’s 25 most prestigious universities according to the 2024 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, including the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of California, Berkeley, University of Chicago, and University of California, Los Angeles, and in 40 universities among the top 150.
In 2024, six international colloquiums on Catalan studies were held in Minnesota, Paris, Scotland, Poznań, Siena, and Giessen, featuring a total of 22 keynote speeches and 250 academic presentations.
The visiting professor chairs hosted seven visiting professors during 2024, including Brigitte Vasallo (CUNY), Elvira Dyangani (NYU), Raül Garrigasait (Stanford), and Simona Škrabec (Leipzig).
In 2024, the Faberllull Olot residency hosted an event focused on Catalan studies. In May, under the title "Touched nerves: on feelings in contemporary Catalan culture", ten academics researching affective studies from various perspectives gathered in Olot.
Next year, a research scholarship call for international students is planned, along with the organisation of two residencies related to Catalan studies.
The IRL promotes the organisation of academic and cultural activities at foreign universities to enhance the visibility and impact of Catalan studies while also promoting Catalan language and culture. In 2024, 115 academic and cultural activities were organised at these universities, representing a 50% increase over 2023.
Additionally, the summer residential language programmes, organised to enhance the language skills and cultural knowledge of Catalan students from abroad, received over 200 applications for 90 places. Another key event is the International Conference for Teachers o Catalan, held in July in Castelló, with 80 teachers from 23 countries participating. Starting next year, the conference will have a thematic focus. In 2025, it will address generative artificial intelligence applied to teaching and its implications.
Creation
In the field of performing arts, 2024 has been marked by a significant presence of Catalan companies and creators on some of the world's most prestigious stages, thanks to a new line of support for international programming. As a result, 85 companies have performed in 23 countries across Europe, Asia, and South America, making 235 performances this year. Apart from the numbers, the quality of the venues and festivals that have hosted these performances is noteworthy, including the Festival d'Avinyó (France), Romaeuropa Festival (Italy), and the Seoul International Dance Festival (South Korea). Additionally, a new initiative in visual arts has been launched to support creators at facilities, festivals, biennials, and triennials. This has enabled the participation of Josep Bohigas and Benedetta Tagliablue at Mextrópoli (Mexico) and Alba G. Corral at Sonica Glasgow.
The Institute has focused on encouraging collaboration with festivals and strategic spaces in Latin America, where the dissemination of Catalan dramaturgy holds a prominent place. A Catalan focus was given to the Buenos Aires International Festival (FIBA), the collaboration with the Theatre a Mil Festival (Chile) was maintained, with two plays taken to Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Lima within the framework of the Temporada Alta - Latin America Festival and Catalan dramaturgy has been the guest of honour at the V Ibero-American Playwriting Encounter Punto Cadeneta Punto with the presence of 4 Catalan authors. These are Guillem Clua, Joan Yago, Clàudia Cedó and Albert Tola. In Europe, within the framework of the programme of dramatised readings led by Sala Beckett, the Norwegian theatre Vega Scene in Oslo programmed texts by Marta Buchaca and Guillem Clua.
In 2025, Catalan contemporary dance will be the guest of honour at the Bienal de danza de Cali, where 5 companies will participate, between 11 and 17 November.
In the field of music, emphasis has been placed on supporting international tours of ensembles associated with major music venues in our country, acknowledging the excellence and quality of the ensembles from the Palau de la Música Catalana, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, and the Auditori. The Palau de la Música Catalana Chamber Choir and the Liceu Grand Theatre Choir performed together at the Philharmonie de Paris and the Barbican in London. The OBC performed two concerts at the Elbphilarmonie in Hamburg. It is noteworthy that Òpera a Catalunya was the guest company at the Saaremaa Opera Festival in Estonia, where they presented a total of seven different performances over five days.
Contemporary music has once again made its mark in New York: Alba Carmona performed at the Lincoln Center, and the Summerstage Festival continued its support for Catalan musicians by featuring Sidonie, Balkan Paradise Orchestra, and Lau Noah. The North American city also hosted part of the international events commemorating the centenary of soprano Victòria dels Àngels' birth.
Another notable event is the Catalan showcase at the Ethnos festival in Naples, co-organised with Fabra i Coats and the Mediterranean Fair of Manresa. Additionally, for the fifth consecutive year, there has been collaboration with the Liveurope network, enabling ten concerts by emerging artists in six of Europe's leading music venues. This year, the members of this platform held their annual meeting in Barcelona.
In the realm of visual arts, Bestiari, a project by artist Carlos Casas curated by Filipa Ramos, represented Catalonia in Venice at the 60th International Art Exhibition of the Biennale di Venezia, attracting a total of 31,857 visitors. Next year, the IRL will again participate in the Eventi Collaterali of the Venice Architecture Biennale with the project "Parlaments d’aigua, arquitectures eco socials projectives", by Eva Franch i Gilabert, Mireia Luzárraga Álvarez, and Alejandro Muiño Seco. The pavilion will be open for visits from 9 May to 23 November.
The IRL has facilitated two significant exhibitions in the USA: Francesc Tosquelles: Avant-Garde Psychiatry and the Birth of Art Brut, held at the American Folk Art Museum in New York, which attracted over 20,000 visitors, and "Beyond the Single Image" from the Foto Colectania collection at The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse in Miami.
In cinema, ongoing collaboration has been maintained with the Catalan Film Festival of Scotland and the Cambridge Film Festival, as well as the international Gaudí Cycle. This year, the Gaudí Cycle not only took place in Mexico, Chile, and the United Kingdom but also expanded to the Nordic countries and Germany. Catalan cinema will also feature prominently in the 2025 edition of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, one of the most esteemed festivals in Northern Europe, showcasing between 15 and 20 Catalan films.
Residencies
Promoting the internationalisation of contemporary creation through the artistic residency programme is one of the strategic priorities of the IRL. Among these residencies, the first international creation residency in heritage spaces was held at the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia in Empúries in October. On this occasion, Catalan cultural artists and creators Maria Callís (poet), Joana Gomila (musician), and Alexandra Laudo (curator) resided at the archaeological site of MAC Empúries alongside British poet Alice Oswald. The Catalan creators showcased their resulting works at the Barcelona Classics Festival. Also in November, Faberllull Olot, the residence managed by the Ramon Llull Institute in collaboration with the Olot City Council, hosted the international residency Democràcia at risk. Culture and Barbarism. Curated by Marcelo Expósito, this residency brought together twenty thinkers, creators, and activists from various countries to discuss the role of culture in the face of democratic crises.
This year, the Faber residency network has hosted 225 professionals from 39 countries through 15 thematic residencies and eight periods of individual stays.
Concerning the grants for international residency projects in the fields of visual arts, performing arts, cinema, music, design, and architecture, 35 applications were received in 2024, doubling the number from 2023, with projects conducted in 15 countries.
