Within the framework of the Catalan Book Week, the Institut Ramon Llull is again bringing together international publishers to reinforce connections and deepen ties and open new paths for the international presence of Catalan literature. From 21 to 26 September, 18 international participants will experience first-hand the vitality of Catalan books and publishing, and take part in numerous meetings with industry professionals.
The participants will immerse themselves in the Catalan publishing sector and in Catalan literature through a programme comprising a personalised schedule of around twenty professional meetings for each guest (over 400 in total), introductory sessions on Catalan literature and the Catalan publishing world, informal gatherings with writers, illustrators and translators, and visits to bookshops and other cultural institutions such as the CCCB and the Escola Massana.
Among the notable names is the Taiwanese publisher Yi-Hsuan Chen of the publishing house Little Ecus. His participation stems from a collaboration between the IRL and TAICCA – Taiwan's counterpart to the IRL. This partnership will enable Catalan participation in the fellowship TAICCA is organizing next February. This alliance reflects the strategic objectives pursued by the IRL in the Asian market.
Also among the participants is Martin van der Heide of the Dutch publishing house Cossee, which has published translations of Montserrat Roig and Irene Solà. Recently, Solà and her translator Adri Boon were awarded the European Translation Prize of the Netherlands.
Besides Cossee, four other invited publishers have translated or will translate modern classics of Catalan literature: the Chinese publishing house Shanghai 99 (Mercè Rodoreda and Josep Pla), the Turkish house Medusa and the American Random House Books (Montserrat Roig), and the British Virago (Mercè Rodoreda). The presence of these publishers underlines the consolidation of the classics of Catalan literature on the international scene.
In a similar vein, Catalan illustration is gaining ever greater recognition in the international publishing world.
Within the mission stand out publishers from highly competitive export markets such as France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Brazil and South Korea. Some of them have published works by some of our most renowned illustrators, including Rocio Bonilla (Jumbo), Liliana Fortuny (Host), Xavier Salomó (Ibis Grafika) and Víctor Escandell (Clavis).
The list of international participants is as follows:
PUBLISHERS OF FICTION
- Julio Silveira, Ímã Editorial, Brasil
- Evy Fjoren, Forlaget Press, Noruega
- Martin van der Heide, Cossee, Netherlands
- Olivia Jane Barber, Virago Books (Little Brown), United Kingdom
- Sofija Zivkovic, No Rules Publishing, Serbia
- Olivia (Xiaoqing) Zhang, Shanghai 99 Readers, China
- Miriam Khanukaev, Random House Books, United States
- Sevi Sonmez Biancardi, Medusa Books, Turkey
- Paulina Maria Surniak, Wydawnictwo Poznanskie, Poland
PUBLISHERS OF CYA
- Staf Leo, Clavis, Belgium
- Lina Krnic, Ibis grafika, Croatia
- Sabrina Mascarenhas, Aletria, Brazil
- Juseon Moon, Luna e Bel (Imaju), South Korea
- Thomas Dartige du Fournet, Gallimard Jeunesse, France
- Pavla Nejedlá, Host Publishing House, Czech Republic
- Sophie Jasmin Gawehn, Jumbo Verlag, Germany
- Maria Maddalena Lucarelli, Fatatrac edizioni, Italy
- Yi-Hsuan Chen, Little Ecus, Taiwan
The Llull Fellowship stands as a key platform for showcasing Catalan literature on the international stage, complementing the IRL’s presence at major global book fairs. Each year, it brings leading publishers from around the world to Barcelona—professionals who play a vital role in introducing new voices and stories to international audiences. By fostering direct connections with the global publishing sector, the initiative opens new avenues for translation, strengthens professional networks, and often sparks long-term collaborations that bring Catalan authors to bookshelves far beyond their borders.
The publishers’ programme also helps reinforce the prestige of Catalan literature as a distinctive cultural heritage with its own voice on the global stage—both through modern classics, such as Rodoreda, Pla, and Roig, and through vibrant contemporary works.
At the same time, the initiative is opening paths in strategic markets beyond Europe and the English-speaking world, including Asia and Latin America. It also shines a spotlight on the strength of Catalan literature for children and young readers, along with its flourishing illustration scene, which are gaining increasing international recognition.
