The tradition of literature publishing is relatively young but covers the three official languages of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish, French and German), as well as English. Twenty publishing houses, some of which are exclusively or mainly dedicated to literature, are currently member of the Luxembourg Publishers’ Association FEL.
An important development has been the creation in 2020, based on a similar association that ceased to exist in 2016, of the association A:LL Schrëftsteller*innen asbl that, according to its statutes, aims at bringing together and representing writers from and in Luxembourg with a regular activity and a significant professional career or in the process of development. It works, notably, at the protection and improvement of the status and working conditions of writers as well as the defense of their social rights, their material, legal and moral interests and takes a position on the subjects topical issues related to the writing profession, literary translation and the book sector in general.
Apart from the ministry of Culture, structures supporting the creation, promotion and study of literature in Luxembourg mostly either are public cultural institutes or structures that benefit from direct public funding or support agreements, such as the Centre national de literature and the University of Luxembourg’s Institute for the Luxembourgish Language and its Literature. A National Book Council, bringing together representatives of the book sector value chain, serves as an advisory body to the ministry of Culture, tasked with providing opinions relating to book policy.
Several national literary prizes form part of the support system to literature: 1) since 1978, the ministry of Culture holds an annual national literary contest that awards a prize to manuscripts from a different genre every year within two age categories; 2) since 1987, the ministry awards every three years the 10.000euros national Batty Weber Prize for literature to a Luxembourgish writer for the literary quality, originality and cultural influence of his/her complete work; 3) every year since 1992, the Raoul Servais Foundation, awards the Servais Prize to the author of “the most significant work of literature to have come out in the previous year”; 4) more recently, in 2006, the FEL set up the annual Luxembourg Book Prize in recognition of the publication of books in several categories during the past year, based on a decision of a jury panel and public vote; 5) finally, in 2015, the municipality of Bettembourg established the Laurence Prize for the manuscripts of young authors.
Furthermore, the ministry of Culture regularly awards grants following the publication of an original work of literature. The grant is eligible for the following types of publications: Luxembourg or foreign publications in one of Luxembourg’s three official languages or English; non-first editions, provided they have been edited, revised or re-illustrated; audiobooks and ebooks, provided the paper edition has not already received a grant from the ministry.
In general, it must be underlined that the book market in Luxembourg is characterised by its small size and, with regard of the linguistic situation in the country, the prevalence in libraries of books from foreign markets. Promotion for Luxembourg books and literature has nevertheless been significantly increased in the recent years. National literary events play an important role in that regard (the most prominent ones being the Walfer Bicherdeeg, the LiteraTour festival in Bettembourg, the Luxembourg Poets Spring Festival and the CLAE Migrations, Cultures and Citizenship Festival).
On the other hand, Luxembourg’s books’ and authors’ presence abroad is being continuously expanded, particularly with the creation of Kultur|lx-Arts Council Luxembourg that ensures, notably, the participation at selected international book fairs and festivals, ranging from the Frankfurter Buchmesse to the Marché de la poésie in Paris.
Many efforts in support of transmitting Luxembourg’s literary heritage are also being invested by further including it in school curricula and textbooks, the CNL having published a series of teaching packs on texts to encourage teaching on them. More emphasis is put also on the Luxembourgish language in general since the setting up of the Centre for the Luxembourgish language in 2018 (www.zls.lu) whose aim it is, among others, to strengthen the status of the Luxembourgish language.
Lastly, at the juncture between culture and press, the ministry of Culture supports awards annual grants for publishers of cultural periodicals to promote the development and circulation of original cultural periodicals in Luxembourg and ensure the quality of those that receive a grant. This grant is intended for literature magazines (novels, short stories, poetry, essays, drama, science fiction, comics and graphic novels), culture magazines covering national heritage and history, and culture magazines covering Luxembourg culture and societal issues.
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