Grants Awarded for 2026-27
We are excited to announce the six organisations who have been awarded grants for the second iteration of Beyond Literature Borders from the British Council and Speaking Volumes. Anamot Press, Future Transformation, Liblib Publishing, Obsidian Foundation, Writing Our Legacy and Words Across Waters have each been awarded £7000 to realise new literature projects with international partners in Armenia, Mexico, Egypt, Kenya and Uganda, Ghana and Senegal respectively.
The six awardees were selected by a panel comprised of Zoe Brigley, Peter Kalu, Nashwa Nasreldin and Rachel Stevens, four individuals with extensive international experience through their careers as writers, translators, editors, facilitators and arts administrators. The successful projects were selected from forty-two applications from across the whole of the UK.
Sinéad Russell of the British Council said:
“We’re delighted to see the range of projects supported through Beyond Literature Borders and to congratulate all awardees, as well as our partners at Speaking Volumes. These projects will build new international connections, support creative collaboration, and help writers and organisations reach new audiences globally – which sits at the heart of the British Council’s work.”
Naswa Nasreldin, member of the assessment panel, said:
“It’s always so interesting seeing what people have chosen to put their energies into, and what makes applications stand out. The panel was excellent to be part of – there were some powerful arguments and it was great to explore the proposals; I benefit hugely from these discussions. I look forward to seeing the selected projects come to life!“
Funded organisations and projects:
Anamot Press – Spring will not come with one flower / Մի ծաղկով գարուն չի գա
A literary development and exchange programme developed by Anamot Press/Tatevik Sargsyan (UK) and Shushan Avagyan (Armenia). The programme includes online writing workshops; a peer-to-peer mentoring scheme and in-person workshops in London and Yerevan. The programme aims to build meaningful cross-cultural creative exchange between UK and Armenian writers; support participants to develop their writing practice; increase opportunities for underrepresented queer and feminist voices; and establish and test an equitable model of international collaboration.
Future Transformation – Voices of Belonging
A reciprocal literary exchange between ten young people in Bradford and ten in Mexico City authoring ‘Stories of Belonging’, exploring identity and heritage. The marginalised voices will be in cross-cultural dialogue in partnership with Gama Crea Gallery in Mexico, resulting in a shared collection of writing with commissioned visual responses to those contributions.
Liblib Publishing – It’s Our Art Too!
A UK–Cairo collaboration with young people in both locations taking part in workshops, contributing creative responses for a shared publication, positioning young people – particularly from underrepresented backgrounds – as co-authors in a cross-cultural literary exchange. This will be realised with Egyptian partner Megawra.
Obsidian Foundation – Diasporic Dialogues
The project creates a dedicated platform for Black poets in the UK, Kenya and Uganda, offering a safe space to write freely without the burden of identity. Building on the legacy of writing movements and collectives supporting marginalised communities, and working with Hay NBO Litfest and Kampala Writes, it will result in a special Sub-Saharan issue of Magma poetry magazine.
Writing Our Legacy – Covert Literary Magazine: Ghana Special
Partnering with Writers Project of Ghana to produce a special issue of the annual Covert Literary Magazine, the project includes talent development programmes, editorial and contributor opportunities for writers in both countries, and reciprocal launch events with travelling artists.
Words Across Waters – What the Tongue Remembers
A bilingual programme of creative exchange across two countries between Words Across Waters’ founders and author and artisan Ayesha Harruna Attah, based in Senegal, including public bilingual creative writing and ice-cream making masterclasses, and professional development with festival design masterclasses and industry networking.
Beyond Literature Borders is a scheme from independent literature organisation Speaking Volumes in partnership with the British Council, designed to give UK-based arts organisations the opportunity to develop and deliver a standalone literature project in collaboration with an international partner as an early step into working beyond Britain. The projects will take place over the next twelve months.
Spotlight Countries
During public information sessions for the last Beyond Literature Borders, British Council colleagues from some of the countries where partnerships can be made joined us to give context about working with their country, an insight to the literature scene, examples of organisations who could be partnered with, and previous successful projects.
Watch the presentations from Safa Mesrati, Tunisia and Algeria, Milan Lucic, Western Balkans, and Yukta Bajracharya, Nepal.
Why Beyond Literature Borders?
Beyond Literature Borders (BLB) is a Grant Programme funded by the British Council in collaboration with Speaking Volumes. It will support the UK literature community to develop an international strand to their work, helping small organisations with little or no previous track record of international working to build skills and undertake an initial project with a country defined as eligible for official development assistance (ODA). Literature organisations eligible to apply for this grant will be diverse-led or those who work to showcase underrepresented voices.
The programme will:
- Support literature organisations new to international working by offering four grants of UK Sterling £7,000 to conduct a discrete reciprocal literature project in an ODA country;
- Equip UK literature professionals with the skills and knowledge to run successful international collaborative programmes through the support and advice of both the British Council and Speaking Volumes;
- Broaden networks and connections across borders for both organisations and artists, creating opportunities for future collaborations and invitations;
- Encourage literature organisations which work to support underrepresented voices within the UK literature scene to develop opportunities for those voices to participate in international programmes.
Why Speaking Volumes?
Speaking Volumes was founded in the UK in 2010. As a small, independent organisation with no core funding, but which has created its own opportunities to work across the UK and abroad, they have in-depth experience and an understanding of the challenges involved in both international working and uplifting unheard voices in the literature sector.
Speaking Volumes has developed a reputation for supporting underrepresented writers from around the world through events, publications and professional resources, and of creating international platforms for them to share their work. Over the last decade they have conceived various ongoing projects run in collaboration with partners across Europe and the USA eg their long-term Breaking Ground series. This has made them cognisant of the many benefits of such projects including, among others: establishing a solid network of international contacts; developing mutual trust and exchanging expertise; growing opportunities for underrepresented artists from both the UK and abroad (eg further event invitations, publishing and translation opportunities); and inspiring new project ideas.
Why the British Council?
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. They support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. They do this through work in arts and culture, education and the English language. The Literature team in the UK work together with colleagues in British Council offices in over 100 countries around the world on programmes that help to build those important connections and increase mutual knowledge and understanding. The connections they build through arts and culture transform lives and create positive change.
The British Council is working with independent literature organisation Speaking Volumes to roll out the Beyond Literature Borders Grant Programme. This scheme is a pilot which aims to enable the British Council to support a wider diversity of literature projects and organisations.
