Promoting literature

Thursday 4 December 08
£1.3m: Major EU Grant for Aberystwyth University

An international literary network based at Aberystwyth University has been awarded a £1.3m  grant to promote arts and culture across Europe and beyond.  

The succesful application for €1,389,500 (£1.3m) from the European Commission was submitted by the Wales Literature Exchange and the Mercator Institute based in Aberystwyth's Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies.

It's the only literary project to secure funding from the Commission’s Culture Programme this year and the only project of its kind to be given a EU grant for a third consecutive time.

The money will go towards developing the work of the Literature Across Frontiers (LAF) network over the next five years.

Established in Aberystwyth in 2000, LAF has been responsible for organising a series of literary exchanges and events in Europe and beyond as well as attending some of the world’s main book fairs.

A total of 25 countries are now members of the network which aims to give all European languages a voice in cultural industries worldwide.

The announcement from Brussels marks the latest in a series of developments to raise the profile of Wales on the international arts and literary stage.

Since 2000, more than 200 literary works from Wales have been translated and published across the world thanks to the work of the LAF network and the Wales Literature Exchange.

“This grant from Brussels places Wales firmly on the literary map of Europe and shows that we are leading the way in promoting literature across linguistic boundaries,” said the Director of Wales Literature Exchange Sioned Puw Rowlands.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s Minister for Heritage Alun Ffred Jones AM welcomed the European Commission’s decision.
“I am very pleased to hear that despite the difficult financial climate, the Wales Literature Exchange has secured additional funding from Europe for the Literature Across Frontiers network. This builds on current activity and is a great step forward in raising the international profile of our authors,” said the Minister, who will be speaking at a media launch outlining details of the EU grant at 1.00pm on Thursday 4 December 2008 in the Oriel, Y Senedd, Cardiff Bay.

The Head of the Theatre, Film and Television Studies Department at Aberystwyth University, Professor Adrian Kear, said the announcement showed the wider impact of work carried out in academic institutions.

“This award clearly demonstrates the role that the Department plays in leading development in the creative industries across Europe and beyond.”