The Brazilian National Library Foundation Translation and Publishing Programme

For over three decades, the Brazilian National Library Foundation has helped promote Brazil’s literary heritage worldwide through the 'Programme of Support for the Translation and Publication of Brazilian Authors Abroad'. Established in 1991, this collaborative initiative, involving the National Library, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been instrumental in introducing Brazilian literature to global readership.

The programme has facilitated the translation and publication of over 1,200 Brazilian literary works into 45 languages. These languages include English, Italian, French, Russian, Spanish, Catalan, Chinese, Polish, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Slovak, Estonian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Greek, Macedonian, Swedish, Danish, Croatian, and more.

Grants for Publishers

The programme provides grants to publishers interested in publishing works by Brazilian authors. These grant applications undergo an evaluation process by a Committee comprising representatives from the National Library, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and independent literature or translation experts.

Winning publishing houses subsequently enter into a Contractual Agreement with the Brazilian National Library Foundation, and the financial support is disbursed in two instalments: the first upon signing the Agreement, and the second on publication of translated book.

Programme Objectives

The programme offers partial or total funding for the following purposes:
• Translation of works by Brazilian authors by non-Lusophone publishers
• Editing and printing of works by Brazilian authors by publishers from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP)
• Translation, editing, and printing of comic books and works in the children's and young adult segments

The financial support ranges from USD 1,000.00 to USD 6,000.00 for new or newly translated projects. Reissue projects may receive support of up to USD 3,000.00. It is important to note that the support provided under the Programme is supplementary, and publishers applying for funding must submit the proposals in accordance to the National Library rules.

How to Participate

Further details, including the Call for Proposals and the Regulation are available in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French. These documents and additional information in Portuguese can be accessed via the National Library's website (www.gov.br/bn).

Application Deadlines

Publishers interested in participating have until 27 October 2023 to submit their projects, along with the required documents specified in the Regulation, via email to translation@bn.gov.br. The selected publishers will be announced on 4th December 2023.
For any inquiries, please contact the National Library at cci@bn.gov.br.