ThinkPub is pleased to announce the publication of Books in Translation, a new report offering a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of book translations across Europe and the ways literary works circulate between languages, markets, and cultures.
At a time when Europe’s cultural diversity and democratic resilience are increasingly shaped by cross-border exchange, the report provides timely insight into translation as both a cornerstone of the European book ecosystem and a vital instrument of cultural policy. Drawing on quantitative data, qualitative market analysis, and country-level case studies, Books in Translation explores how translations influence readerships, publishing strategies, and cultural flows across Europe — and how these dynamics are evolving under economic pressure, digital transformation, and geopolitical change.
The report adopts a Europe-wide perspective, combining statistical evidence with market intelligence from national book industries and national libraries. It examines translation flows between European languages and from non-European source languages into European markets, the dominant role of English alongside regional and smaller languages, structural differences between large and small book markets, the impact of subsidies and institutional frameworks, and the strategic place of translations within publishers’ catalogues.
Rather than approaching translation as a marginal or exclusively cultural phenomenon, Books in Translation positions it as a structural component of Europe’s book economy, with direct implications for competitiveness, author visibility, and long-term cultural exchange.
Among its main findings, the report identifies several major trends shaping European translation markets. Translation volumes are becoming increasingly concentrated, with a growing share of translated titles originating in English. At the same time, publishers are facing intensified economic pressure as declining unit sales and rising production and translation costs narrow the financial margins for translation projects, particularly among smaller publishers. The report also highlights the importance of regional translation ecosystems: countries with strong support schemes and long-standing traditions of cultural exchange tend to show greater linguistic diversity, while weaker institutional environments often lead to stronger dependence on commercially dominant source languages. In addition, the report points to a persistent lack of comparable, harmonised translation data across Europe, complicating evidence-based decision-making for both the book sector and policymakers.
A central argument of the report is that translation must be understood both as a market activity and as a public good. Commercial logic alone is not enough to sustain linguistic diversity, especially for works originating in smaller languages or less commercially dominant regions. Public support mechanisms — including translation grants, publisher subsidies, and international cooperation programmes — therefore play a decisive role in maintaining diversity and ensuring long-term cultural circulation.
The report further underscores that translations are investments in cultural infrastructure. They connect readerships, enable authors to move beyond national boundaries, and strengthen Europe’s shared cultural space.
For publishers, editors, and literary agents, the findings offer strategic guidance on the relationship between translation choices, rights costs, market size, and catalogue development. For policymakers and cultural institutions, the report provides an evidence-based foundation for evaluating current support schemes and shaping future policy. At a time when cultural exchange faces economic, political, and technological challenges, Books in Translation makes a clear case: supporting translation is essential to sustaining a vibrant, pluralistic European book landscape and to ensuring that Europe continues to speak to itself — and to the world — in many voices.
Books in Translation has been authored by Miha Kovač, Professor of Publishing Studies at the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), book market researcher Rüdiger Wischenbart (Austria), cultural manager and researcher Yana Genova (Bulgaria), and Anja Kamenarič, PhD researcher at the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia).
The report is available as a free download here: ThinkPub Report – Books in Translation