Beyond Literature Borders is a pilot grants programme supporting UK-based arts organisations that are diverse-led, or working with underrepresented voices, to develop new international projects.
Launched in 2024 in partnership with Speaking Volumes, the programme awards five grants of £7,000 to small literature organisations to develop and deliver a project in collaboration with an international partner.
About Speaking Volumes
Speaking Volumes is a live literature organisation specialising in getting underrepresented voices heard, reaching diverse audiences and finding exciting ways to present the work of writers.
Meet the 2024 cohort
The Black British Book Festival, Forty-Four Words, Komet Kashakeel, Poetry Wales, and Saqi Books have each been awarded £7,000 to realise new literature projects with international partners in Jamaica, Ghana, Egypt, Zimbabwe, and Palestine respectively.
Black British Book Festival
Fi Wi Time: A New Generation Speaks
This project is a partnership between the Black British Book Festival (BBBF) and the Jamaica Book Festival (JBF), designed to empower marginalised young writers aged 18-30 from Jamaica and the UK. Over six online workshops, participants will delve into creative writing, cultural nuances, and pertinent social issues. The programme will culminate in the publication of an anthology, showcasing the diverse perspectives and collective experiences of these talented writers.
Forty-Four Words
Reimagining Ghana
Forty-Four Words proposes a UK-Ghana collaboration centred on Paul Strand’s book “Ghana: An African Portrait”. Partnering with Isshaq Ismail, they will host virtual workshops, in-person events, and commission writers from both countries. The project aims to challenge and redefine traditional narratives concerning Ghana’s post-colonial identity by offering an insider’s view of contemporary Ghana through words.
Komet Kashakeel
Read Aloud Across Borders
An Arabic flash fiction contest where winning submissions are translated into English, published in an ArabLit zine, and soundscaped as flash fiction podcasts. Realised in partnership with ArabLit.
Poetry Wales
Ling Di Long, Mutetsvaidzi: A Collaborative Project of Welsh and Zimbabwean Poets
This project will bring Welsh and Zimbabwean writers together to explore their creative practices. The writing will be published in a chapbook of poetry by Poetry Wales featuring work by Welsh and Zimbabwean writers with translations into Cymraeg and Shona. Digital content will feature commentary on the collaboration, followed by a feature in the July 2025 issue of Poetry Wales.
Saqi Books
Publishing Palestine
‘Publishing Palestine’ is a project of literary intercultural exchange between the UK and Palestine. Mahmoud Muna, a Palestinian bookseller, will visit the UK, taking part in a public salon and industry roundtable, while there will be writing workshops and showcases in Palestine. The project will celebrate Palestinian writers and the region’s literary legacy and strengthen the cultural landscape in Palestine.
Impact
Beyond Literature Borders:
- Supports literature organisations new to international working by offering grants of £7,000 to conduct a reciprocal literature project in eligible countries.
- Equips UK literature professionals with the skills and knowledge to run successful international collaborative programmes through the support of both the British Council and Speaking Volumes.
- Broadens networks and connections across borders for both organisations and artists, creating opportunities for future collaborations and invitations.
- Showcases underrepresented voices.
See also
Tags:
- Art Form: Literature