The aim of the Hungarian Literature Exchange program is to promote Hungarian literature abroad and to foster the translation and publication of Hungarian literature in foreign languages.

As the ‘foreign affairs’ program of the Petőfi Cultural Agency, Hungarian Literature Exchange is entrusted with the task of managing and coordinating efforts and endeavors directed abroad. We are in charge of coordinating the Hungarian presence at international book fairs, we provide support for translators and publishing houses outside of Hungary, help prominent representatives of the Hungarian book market gain exposure outside the country, and cultivate interest in Hungarian literature the world over with our publications and media.

The 1749 Online World Literature Magazine was founded by the Petofi Cultural Agency to publish and promote works by an array of authors from around the globe in Hungarian translation. It is also intended to bring exciting works of literature and writers from around the world closer to the Hungarian readership. Its essential aim is to present existing or new translations of works of world literature and to familiarize its readership with the most recent events and trends in literature the world over. The palette of genres is remarkably colorful, including translations of contemporary poetry and prose and critical articles and interviews.

We also cooperate closely the PesText International Literary Festival. The festival brings foreign authors to Budapest with a clear focus on the literature of the Visegrad countries, i.e. Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. The broad context includes non-fiction and children’s literature, text and illustration, and visual art and performance.

The Agency also manages the development of the network of a national writers’ residency program in some of the larger cities in Hungary, lying beyond the capital. The Hungarian Translators’ House in the city of Balatonfüred, which was launched in 1988, is an essential component of this program. The Writer’s Residence program helps to cultivate and maintain relations among people active in contemporary literature. Invitations are extended to authors to take advantage of residencies which permit them to focus on their creative work for periods ranging from one or two weeks to a month.

We also work together with almost innumerable institutions abroad to familiarize international readerships with classics from the Hungarian literary tradition and works of contemporary Hungarian literature.