The Polish Book Institute is a national institution established by the Polish Ministry of Culture. It has been up and running in Kraków since January 2004.

The Institute’s basic aims are to influence the reading public and to popularise books and reading within Poland, as well as to promote Polish literature worldwide. These aims are accomplished by:

• popularising the best Polish books and their authors;


• educational activities designed to highlight the advantages to be gained from regular book reading;


• introducing Polish literature abroad;


• organising study visits for translators;


• increasing the number of translations from Polish into foreign languages, with the help of the © POLAND Translation Programme; and


• making information on Polish books and the Polish publishing market accessible to foreign consumers.

The Book Institute organises literary programmes to promote Polish books at national and international book fairs, appearances by Polish writers at literary festivals, and within the scope of programmes designed to promote Polish culture worldwide, it publishes catalogues of “New Books from Poland”, runs study and educational activities, organises meetings and seminars for translators of Polish literature and keeps in touch with translators.