Venice International University and the Centro per il Libro e la Lettura – an autonomous institute of the Italian Ministry of Culture, operating under the Directorate General for Libraries and Copyright – have signed an agreement aimed at promoting the translation of Italian books and literary works abroad, in order to foster contemporary Italian literature in translation and promote Italian culture.

The initiative specifically supports translation from Italian into other languages with particular reference to both Italian fiction and non-fiction.

The first call for applications was announced in 2026 and eight translators were selected, whose native languages are German, English, Spanish, French, Chinese and Arabic. The selected candidates were awarded a four-week residency, held from July 26 to August 23, 2026, at Venice International University.
VIU provided access to its facilities (library, offices, and common areas), board and accommodation for each translator, in order to facilitate their translation project.

Applicants must be native speaker of German, English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic and have a publishing contract for the translation of an Italian work of fiction or non-fiction into their native language, or alternatively, submit a translation project proposal.

During the residency various meetings with experts were organized and on July 31 a conference on translation, culture and AI took place, aimed to explore the evolving role of translation as a strategic instrument for the international promotion of Italian culture, literature, and publishing.

Throughout this initiative, Venice International University and the Centro per il Libro e la Lettura create a lasting international network of translators and cultural professionals, supporting the circulation of Italian literature abroad and strengthening the role of translation as a bridge between cultures.