Foreign policy on books may decisively affect the prospects of a literature which has not succeeded in overcoming the language barrier and in claiming a distinctive place on the international scene. This has been the case for Greece for several decades, all the way back to when the notion and practice of a foreign policy on books had not even appeared on the horizon.

Yet, which are the tools at our disposal for designing and implementing a foreign policy on books? One is soliciting interest from outside our borders through the funding of translations. Another is the creation of special communication channels which would systematically project contemporary literary works and essays abroad. These tools, however, belong to the field of agencies such as ministries, or other appropriate institutions and organizations.

The list at hand is a third tool, apart from institutional initiatives: a database for the participation of Greece in well established international book fairs. It is a selection of recent and slightly older titles (dating back no longer than eight years) from the literary but also the historical and social-political domain, which hope to capture the interest of European and international publishers.

Certainly, this aim is not easy to meet nor is it attempted for the first time. Despite the fact that in the past, both near and distant, there has been no dearth of translations, the indubitable fact remains that, with a few minor exceptions, demand for greek literature and greek essays, i.e. written by Greeks or born to the greek language, only exists on the greek side of the borders. Why is it that they cannot raise their head and stride out to find their place abroad? Could it be that the only expectation existing within the international readership is limited to images of greek folklore? But if we pay attention to what has been translated in recent years (partly thanks to the personal tastes of translators) we will not come across folklore anywhere. Is it perhaps that greek literature and greek thought seem too isolated? That may well be but, then again, cultural globalisation has by far been based on precisely this parameter, with central european literature as an impressive case in point. From time to time the greek novel's weaknesses of composition are mentioned as a major factor contributing to the difficulty. This kind of lack, however, assuming it does exist, has not impeded other literary productions from staking a claim on the international market…

Given these considerations, might the reason lie elsewhere? Namely, could it be the fact that most translations of greek works are summarily removed from the shelves of bookshops, never to return? But if greek books in translation can only stay on the shelves for a short time, we are brought back, once again, to the issue of a lack of demand.

Perhaps all the above is due to the fact that, in the end, literature depends on foreign policy on books (no matter who designs or implements it) only on a case-by-case basis. It may, moreover, be due to the fact that literature does not embark on a collective career, but is promoted on a solitary platform. However, Greek writers should always have the option of crossing national borders, and thus being released from their international loneliness.

Something similar is also the case for essays which have been experiencing an unprecedented boom in the years of the crisis. A new generation of essayists made its appearance in the field of humanities, women and men from Greece with an enviable academic record both locally and abroad. They are reassessing greek history, greek society, greek politics and greek culture, as well as issues related to established notions and ways of thinking, through a wider prism that is inclusive of the international big picture. This academic community is in constant interaction with contemporary themes and issues. It circulates in international fora, conferences and media and contributes through research studies and analytical commentary to the international bibliography on today's critical thought . These writers, too, are confined to the peripheral greek market and have yet to find appropriate communication channels and meet the demands of an international readership.

Hence, the catalogue GREECE ON THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE aspires precisely to this: to address the international community with carefully selected works that represent an up-to-date selection of the greek publishing activity.

Our aim in comprising this list is not to succumb to our critical preferences. We have tried to formulate qualitative, extrovert recommendations (inclusive of best sellers) which will reflect, among other things, the variety and pluralism of the contemporary production of literature and essays, and the core issues involved.