1. UK Publishing is Imperialist

2. Where are the world’s stories? Only 4% of books published in the UK are in translation The whole world knows our stories, and yet we don’t know theirs English language best sellers are squashing local literature out of the market

3. Who are our Cultural Gate-Keepers? Publishers Booksellers Translators Newspapers/ Journalists Reviewers

4. The counter-balance: small, independent publishers in the UK Over the past 5 years, a number of small publishers have been founded, focusing on literature in translation Small publishers can fill a niche in terms of regions, subject matters or languages Translators, literary curators and reading organisations are joining in

5. What are the Challenges? Only a small slice of the market Limited access to reviewers (remember the gatekeepers!) Translations are expensive Authors live outside of the UK – prohibitive when organising events and arranging interviews Small print runs = expensive print runs

6. How do we manage? Tap into the funding grants Make contact with the Cultural Institutes/embassies Make as many friends as possible then connect and collaborate!

7. Lessons learnt Choose books carefully and understand the importance of universalism and cultural cross- over Get some good PR Make friends with bloggers Keep your print runs realistic Work till you drop!