Swedish literature exports in 2024

News / Swedish literature exports in 2024

Swedish Arts Council, 02 December 2025 , Sweden

Today, we are releasing a Nordic report on sold translation rights in 2024. It is the first report to show a joint compilation of Nordic literature exports. The survey has been sent out to publishers and agencies representing Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Faroese, Icelandic and Norwegian authors.

We are so happy to have a picture of the total Nordic literature export for the first time. Many agencies represent authors from several Nordic countries, which has meant that we and our colleagues have lacked an overall picture. It is also absolutely fantastic that Swedish literature has such a strong position, and that it generates a significant amount of income for the authors! Says Susanne Bergström Larsson, operations manager for the Swedish Literature Exchange.

The results show that revenues for translation rights from Swedish publishing generated at least EUR 55.6 million (approximately SEK 610 million) in 2024. Revenues for 2024 are almost double compared to the Swedish Publishers' Association's compilation for 2022. The number of contracts for translation rights from Swedish to other languages was at its lowest in 2027.

The combined result shows that a minimum of 4,250 contracts were signed and that the sale of translation rights for Nordic authors generated at least EUR 78 million.

It is important to understand how literature exports work and are managed in the Nordic countries and how we can continue to strengthen and develop our export strategies based on these insights," summarize the managers of the Nordic literature export offices.

The report was commissioned by the Swedish Literature Exchange within the Swedish Arts Council, the Danish Arts Foundation, FarLit - Literature from the Faroe Islands, FILI - Finnish Literature Exchange, Icelandic Literature Center and NORLA - Norwegian Literature Abroad.

The next joint compilation will be for the year 2025. This is an important part of the work to follow the development of Nordic literature exports.

More about Swedish literature exports and collection of statistics

The most recent collection of figures for Swedish literature exports was made by the Swedish Publishers' Association, with figures for 2018 through 2022 revenues and contracts. Since then, Swedish Literature Exchange at the Swedish Arts Council has taken over the collection for Swedish literature exports.

For Swedish literature, the number of signed contracts in 2024 has decreased by 10 percent, but revenues have increased by as much as 66 percent since 2022. Fiction accounts for the largest share of revenues, with a 73 percent increase, but the largest increase since 2022 in percentage has been non-fiction. There, revenues have more than doubled.

In terms of SEK, exports brought in about SEK 610 million. This is about SEK 245 million, or 66 percent, more than in 2022.

Swedish literature thus continues to stand strong internationally. For the creators, this means opportunities to reach readers outside Sweden's borders and an opportunity to make a contribution to the economy. For the Swedish industry, publishers and agencies, this means strengthened finances and strengthened international networks, which in turn can strengthen the opportunities for continued strong publishing in Sweden and abroad.

Read more