Linguistic Diversity

This new programme is designed to foster linguistic diversity – an expression of cultural pluralism and part of our global heritage and wealth, as UNESCO emphasises in its World Atlas of Languages. In the light of the rising number of endangered languages and the dominance of English, linguistic diversity and multilingualism cannot be taken for granted; they demand active support and engagement. 

Within this programme, Translation House Looren carries out projects in Switzerland and beyond and provides online platforms as part of our contribution to linguistic diversity.

Find out more about the individual initiatives below.

Our events series Texts without Borders shines a spotlight on writers and translators working in Switzerland outside the country’s four official national languages. Though rarely acknowledged in the Swiss literary world, these literary creators are often well known in their countries of origin. 

In its first year (2022), Texts without Borders was dedicated to the Persian language and its varieties Dari and Tajik. 2023’s focus was on the languages Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin and Serbian. In 2024, the spotlight was on Turkish and Kurdish in all its varieties and in 2025, the Arabic language will take centre stage.

Each of the multilingual readings and conversations is accompanied by musical performances. 

See our Coming up page for the next events in the series. 

To promote linguistic diversity, we have opened up our Looren Excellence Grants for all source and target languages. They are aimed at translators of works by Swiss-based writers of any era. Alongside writers with Swiss nationality, this also includes other nationals with long-term residency in Switzerland. Learn more

In 2025, Translation House Looren offers its first workshop for translators living in Switzerland working from various languages into German. To do justice to our country’s linguistic diversity, projects from any source language can be submitted. No publishing contract is necessary. The workshop will take place at Translation House Looren and is aimed at both experienced and emerging translators. The focus will be on intensive workshopping as a group. You can find more information here.

Expanded Translation is an international online platform for dialogue, co-creation and cooperative learning. It was launched in 2022 by Looren América Latina. The aim is to build an international digital network that reflects current ideas and dynamics, while understanding language and translation as expressions of cultural identity. Its topics are oral literatures, indigenous and creole languages, linguistic hybridity, along with collective and transdisciplinary practices and linguistic policy. In 2024, the Looren Forum promoted dialogue and reflection on linguistic diversity. The current ongoing project is called Fervur rumantscha!

Upcoming events are listed under Looren América Latina.