The project Litrix.de was initiated in 2003 by the German Federal Cultural Foundation. The Goethe-Institut e.V. served as project sponsor from 2003-2008. Since January 2009 Litrix.de is an integral part of Department 33’s "Literature and Translation Program" at Goethe-Institut e.V. Munich headquarters.The aim is to promote contemporary German literature and provide an impetus for its translation. In spite of a slight upward trend in the number of translation and publication rights bought by publishers in other countries, Germany is still a net importer when it comes to literature. In the case of fiction, for instance, there are still more than twice as many books being translated from other languages into German than the other way around. One reason for this disparity is the sheer diversity of the German book market, which can make it very difficult for outsiders to keep track of developments.

To counter this and to make it easier for anyone with a professional or private interest to gain access to the latest German publications is one of Litrix.de’s two main objectives. Substantial excerpts each of some fifteen pages, together with translations in English and one other language, enable the website’s visitors to gain an immediate impression of the state of contemporary German literature. The website also contains portraits of writers and their works, as well as more general information on the German literary and publishing scene.

Litrix.de’s second main objective is to encourage and support translation. Communicating German contemporary literature, particularly in regions with a very different cultural and social background, is clearly only possible through the medium of translation. This is where Litrix.de’s programme for supporting translation comes into its own by concentrating specifically on one language area for a period of two full years: In 2004 and 2005 approximately 30 German to Arabic translations were sponsored, 2005 and 2006, into Chinese, in the years 2007 and 2008 the Litrix program focused on Brazil. In 2009 and 2010, Litrix.de will focus on Latin America (with Argentina at the center) for the promotion of translation. “Support” here not only means financial assistance for publishers: Litrix.de also organises and runs further-training courses for literary translators, and specialist seminars for publishers and those responsible for negotiating translation and publication rights.