The project represents the initial research phase of the large 3-year LEILA project co-financed by the Creative Europe  Programme of the European Union and due to start in 2021. LEILA (Arabic Literature in European Languages) aims to address the challenges presented by translation and circulation of contemporary Arabic-language literary works in Europe,  while the proposed research project will document, measure and assess recent interactions in the field of books and literature and provide continuity for the ‘Mapping of Translation in the Euro-Mediterranean Region’ published a decade ago. Since then, the Arab Spring of 2011 resulted in a foment of artistic activities and in a growing European interest in art emerging from the region, but also a growth of Arab diaspora in Europe.

The main objective of the LEILA project is to create tools and structural dynamics to facilitate the ‘discoverability’ of literary works published in the Arabic language and overcome identified structural obstacles. LEILA will address the ecosystem of literary translation from Arabic around three key actions: the creation of a network of experts, capacity-building for translators, and the publication of a regular catalogue of recommended titles selected by an independent panel. The project we are proposing will lay the ground for these activities by researching the current state of literary translation between Europe and the Arab world, and producing a  set of studies and papers that will form the factual basis for the implementation of the later phases of the 3-year LEILA  project. The target group and primary beneficiaries of this phase are literary and book sector professionals, researchers and educators in the relevant fields.