Finnegan's List is a list of under-translated or forgotten works made of recommendations from 10 prominent writers from 10 different countries each year which will then be suggested for (re-)publishing. Since the project’s inauguration in 2010, the European Society of Authors has led to one new published list per year which is meant to promote diversity and to overcome linguistic, social and commercial borders.
Each author selects three titles from his or her personal library – fiction or non-fiction, prose or poetry – and briefly explains what makes them worth putting forward. With this project, the European Society of Authors strives to create a literary community encompassing all languages spoken and written in Europe and beyond. The Lists are sent out to publishers and cultural institutions across the world, and the committee members are invited to speak on their choices at fairs and events organized throughout the year in various European cities. The List’s name is an unabashed nod to James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, a novel from whose language melding polyphony the List was inspired.
Since May 2013, Finnegan’s List has been part of Schwob, a Europe-wide initiative for the promotion and translation of forgotten modern classics.
