After two publishers tours for children's and youth literature (in February 2008 and 2010), the FLF repeated this successful format for literary fiction. The foreign guests as well as the Flemish participants to the publishers tours agree that this initiative promotes Flemish books in a purposeful, successful and pleasant way. Both previous editions resulted in an increase of translations of Flemish titles.
It was a busy week for the nine publishers from Aschehoug (Norway), Fazi (Italy), Fraktura (Croatia), Green Integer and New Directions (USA), Host (Czech Republic), Luchterhand (Germany) and WAB (Poland). In Antwerp, they met with Flemish and Dutch publishers of literary fiction and they visited the National Heritage Library Hendrik Conscience, the AMVC House of Literature and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MuHKA). Authors Joseph Pearce and Tom Lanoye showed ‘their' Antwerp during a city walk: Pearce guided the group through the Jewish quarter, Lanoye read from his work in the ‘Boerentoren' and at designer Walter Van Beirendonck's store. 
In between two authors' programmes, at Mechlin based bookstore De Zondvloed and at international house of literature Passaporta, writer David Van Reybrouck treated the visitors to a round of Brussels. (Download the full programme.)
Although it is still too early for results, the FLF as well as the Flemish and Dutch publishers are very optimistic. The foreign publishers see a lot of potential in the proposed titles and hence they will start reading all the acquired material when they head back home. The question is not whether they will apply for translation grants but when they will first introduce which authors in their home country. Remarkably, there is a high demand for classic work (namely Willem Elsschot and Hugo Claus) on the one hand, for provocative novels on the other. Most publishers ordered reading copies of ‘Wij' (‘We' by Elvis Peeters, Podium), ‘De bewaker' (‘The guard' by Peter Terrin, De Arbeiderspers) and ‘De leraar' (‘The teacher' by Bart Koubaa, Querido).
In the brochure ‘In Flanders' literary fields', the FLF presents nine recent novels. (Download the brochure.)
