Words Without Borders is the premier destination for a global literary conversation. Founded in 2003, our mission is to cultivate global awareness by expanding access to international writing and creating a bridge between readers, writers, and translators.
Our digital magazine offers unparalleled access to the world’s literary voices. These include writers like Elena Ferrante, Olga Tokarczuk, and Han Kang, all published on WWB before they became international sensations, as well as hundreds of new and rising talents. We are committed to centering writers in indigenous, endangered, and other world languages that are too often marginalized.
Our education program, WWB Campus, brings global literature into hundreds of classrooms, offering free access to stories from around the world; multimedia curricular resources that bring literature to life; and professional support for educators.
Each year, WWB organizes free virtual and in-person events with international authors, translators, and critics, providing a space for readers to engage directly with the perspectives we publish.
Impact
4,600 writers and translators
146 countries
140 languages, from Amharic to Zamboangueño Chavacano
750,000 annual readers worldwide
50,000 students and teachers learning with international literature
Awards and Recognition
Winner, 2024 CLMP Firecracker Award for General Excellence, Magazine
“Words Without Borders (WWB) is a rare literary and cultural space where one can encounter writing from over 140 countries. The work WWB publishes reflects a radically capacious, global vision of literature, as well as an unstinting commitment to the art of translation and the precise, dedicated work of translators. The publication’s mission of making the world’s literature accessible to wider audiences is evident in its thoughtful curation of literature by country, theme, and contributor; its packages designed for the classroom; and the strong suite of accessibility tools on its website. Publishing translations can be complex and delicate work, and WWB has set the bar high with its steady output of compelling, politically trenchant, and varied work.”
—Firecracker Award judges Sam Campbell, Manuel Gonzales & Dana Isokawa
Winner, 2024 Hermann Kesten Prize, awarded by PEN Centre Germany
“What [WWB] has achieved over the last two decades is beyond imagination. [ . . . ] WWB has given a voice to those whose voice cannot be heard. [ . . . ] Since 2003, the year it was founded, readers have been able to read and even write along with the world as an open book without borders, no matter where they are, no matter what language they read or think in.”
—Najem Wali, Writers-In-Prison-Officer and Vice President of PEN Centre Germany
Winner, 2018 Whiting Foundation Literary Magazine Prize
Honorable Mention, 2018 National Book Foundation Innovations in Reading Prize
Winner, 2016 London Book Fair International Excellence Award for a Translation Initiative
Shortlisted, 2020 London Book Fair Learning Resources Award
Praise for WWB
Words Without Borders has single-handedly expanded the breadth of the contemporary literary conversation. This is writing that places you inside a culture.
—Judges’ citation, Whiting Literary Magazine Prize
All hail to Words Without Borders, which, with its monthly magazine and publishing partnerships, brings to us, both online and in book form, treasures from around the world. From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and everywhere in between, this extraordinary journal celebrates new voices and international masters alike. In our world, provincial and atomized as we are in spite of globalization, there’s no more important literary enterprise.
—Claire Messud
A handbook for understanding the world.
—Reza Aslan
For all things translation, WWB remains the gold standard.
—Stephen Snyder, Dean of Language Schools, Middlebury College
Thank you for the great literature selections with the relevant and relatable videos with additional paired resources. WWB Campus is a resource I will return to again and again!
—Christine Woods, Past president, Virginia Association of Teachers of English, Virginia Western Community College