One country, four languages, four sets of literature – at least. Translated into more than 50 languages, Swiss literature enjoys a global readership. With the help of its new project "Moving Words", the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia is bringing the work of translators into the spotlight. It intends to raise awareness of the art of translation and increase appreciation of this creative and culture-defining activity.

Over the coming three years, the Arts Council will be implementing various measures with the goal of increasing the quantity and quality of literary translations in Switzerland. In particular, Pro Helvetia aims to increase the number of translations of Swiss literary works throughout the world. What's more, it will also be promoting specific training programmes to increase the number of qualified literary translators.

All these activities and promotional measures will be implemented and financed by Pro Helvetia with the support of various partners. The development of new promotional instruments such as the Young Translators Partnership (mentoring project), publisher trips (international exchange), and a focus on children's and young people's literature and on non-fiction books are all on the horizon.