About us

This site is produced by the British Council Literature Department and the British Centre for Literary Translation. Its aim is to celebrate the art of translation and bring to a new audience an appreciation of the complexities and richness of this art form.

British Council Literature Department

The British Council Literature Department promotes British and Commonwealth literature internationally, working with British Council offices overseas, and other organisations, such as universities, publishers and arts organisations.

Translation is a priority in our work, both in practical ways and as a theme which underlies all cross-cultural communication. Translation of literatures into and from English is one of the most successful and straightforward ways of encouraging an understanding and appreciation of other cultures. This furthers the Department's aim of promoting British literature, and it also promotes translation as an art form in its own right. The Literature Department aims to facilitate dialogue between writers from other countries and writers from the UK, and to raise awareness in the UK of literature from overseas.

Tel +44 (0) 207 389 3004

Fax +44 (0) 207 389 3175

E-mail: arts@britishcouncil.org

Click here to go to the British Council's website.

British Centre for Literary Translation

The British Centre for Literary Translation is Britain’s foremost centre for the development, promotion and support of literary translation. Founded in 1989 by the late W G ‘Max’ Sebald, BCLT is based as the University of East Anglia and is supported by Arts Council England.  It offers support and continuing professional development to literary translators at all stages of their careers, develops new audiences through events and publications, provides information and advice, stimulates public awareness and interest in literary translation and generates and encourages academic debate

Regular activities include the annual Sebald lecture at London’s South Bank Centre, an internationally recognised literary translation Summer School, the Translation Days series of workshops and discusssions,  and co-sponsorship of the annual John Dryden Translation Prize. BCLT publishes a journal ‘In Other Words’ twice a year as well as ‘New Books in German’ and the contemporary translation anthology ‘Rearranging the World’.

BCLT is a member of the international RECIT literary translation network and works closely with international cultural offices such as the Goethe Institut and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.  It also organises activities in partnership with national and regional organisations including  the Society of Authors, English PEN,  New Writing Partnership and Charles Wallace India Trust.

School of Literature and Creative Writing

University of East Anglia

Norwich, NR4 7TJ

Tel +44 (0) 1603 592785

Fax +44 (0) 1603 592737

Email: bclt@uea.ac.uk