VIULIFE by MISSIRKOV/BOGDANOV The first edition brought eight translators from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds to San Servolo for a four-week residency, making VIU a meeting place for translation, cultural exchange and dialogue between Italy and the world.
Conceived on the initiative of its President, Ambassador Umberto Vattani, the programme was established by Venice International University through an agreement with the Centro per il libro, an autonomous institute of the Italian Ministry of Culture operating under the Directorate General for Libraries and Copyright.
The programme supports the translation of Italian works of fiction and non-fiction into other languages, opening them to new readers and strengthening the presence of Italian culture in the international publishing world.
The first call was launched in 2026. Eight translators were selected, working into German, English, Spanish, French, Chinese and Arabic, and were awarded a four-week residency at Venice International University, from 26 July to 23 August 2026.
At VIU, on the island of San Servolo in Venice, they were provided with accommodation, meals and full access to the University’s facilities, allowing them to concentrate on their translation projects while sharing ideas and experiences within VIU’s international academic community.
The programme is open to native speakers of German, English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese and Arabic who either hold a publishing contract for the translation of an Italian work of fiction or non-fiction into their native language, or submit a translation project proposal.
The residency was conceived not simply as a period of individual work, but as an opportunity for intellectual and cultural exchange. Meetings with scholars and experts accompanied the translators’ work, and on 31 July VIU hosted a conference on conference on translation, culture and Aritficial Intelligence , exploring the impact of new technologies and the evolving role of translation in the international circulation of literature, culture and knowledge.
The programme looks beyond a single residency. Through its agreement with the Centro per il Libro, Venice International University aims to build, year after year, an international network of translators and cultural professionals, encouraging the circulation of Italian books abroad and creating new connections between Italian authors, international publishers and readers.
In this perspective, translation is more than the passage of a text from one language into another. It becomes an instrument of cultural diplomacy: a bridge through which books, ideas and cultures travel across borders.
