HALMA Literary Network

cafebabel points out something that’s new to us—the HALMA network:

HALMA is a network of European literary institutions which helps to connect European cultural and literary scenes. HALMA provides with a platform for the exchange of European writers, translators and literary promoters. Via projects of HALMA institutions, the granting of scholarships and the organization of public events in all participating countries, HALMA creates transnational structures for European literature.

In essence, several different literary institutions across Europe—publishers, writers’ unions, writers’ retreats—which were unconnected in any way before and had to stand alone, have gotten together and formed a network whose main function is giving out scholarships to writers, translators, and ‘literary promoters’ to promote cultural exchange: “The HALMA scholarship wants to encourage fruitful encounters between the literary scenes of different European countries”.

Scholarship winners then get to visit a couple of these institutions and spend a month working there. I didn’t recognize many of the awardees—there have only been six so far—but Fatos Kongoli is one.

It’s a fantastic idea, and hopefully it’ll expand even further in the years to come. Check out their website for more information.