Göteborg 2027

Flanders and the Netherlands are Guest of Honour at the Gothenburg Book Fair in 2027, but you can already start your journey discovering Dutch-language literature now.

Across the North Sea, from Antwerp to Rotterdam to Gothenburg, ports have always been gateways to the world. Our harbours have connected people and ideas for centuries. Today, they continue to stimulate exchange, not only for goods, but also for stories.

Flanders and the Netherlands invite you to explore the free port of Dutch-language literature. Here, words welcome voices from around the world and offer a safe haven for new ideas and stories that cross borders and touch the depths of our human experience. Come and anchor your imagination in the deep, dynamic world of Dutch and Flemish literature.

Flemish literature holds a treasure trove of stories waiting to be discovered by Swedish readers. We have selected several titles that have achieved international success, often also in the Scandinavian market, and we would love to tell you why these books deserve to be translated into Swedish.

• Children's and youth literature
• Graphic novels
• Fiction
• Nonfiction
• Poetry

Have you found a Flemish book that fits your publishing list? Fantastic! To celebrate this special occasion, we have increased our grants for publishers of translations from Dutch into Swedish: we cover 90% of translation costs until the end of 2028. On top of that, we also reimburse 25% of production costs across all genres, with a maximum of 4,000 euros. 

• February: two fellowships exclusively for Swedish publishers.
  • Early February, we kicked off with a week dedicated entirely to nonfiction. Look back with us.
  • Mid-February, we organised a week for publishers of children's and young adult literature. Read our report. 

• November: a small delegation of the Gothenburg Book Fair visited Flanders.
  • Read why they describe Flanders as a "treasure trove of literature". 
  • Read the introduction to Flanders by Luc Devoldere, the chairman of our board of directors.
• September: Flanders Literature and author Fleur Pierets visited Gothenburg Book Fair.
  • Read about Fleur Pierets experiences at two seminars.
• March: Romkje de Bildt (Dutch Foundation for Literature), Frida Edman (Gothenburg Book Fair) and Paul Hermans (Flanders Literature) signed the agreement for the Guest of Honourship.
  • Read the press release.

Harbours of Literature is a joint project of Flanders Literature and the Dutch Foundation for Literature.