Purpose/Activities

HALMA is a network of European literary institutions which helps to connect European cultural and literary scenes. It provides a platform for the exchange of European writers, translators and literary promoters. Via projects of its member-institutions, the granting of scholarships and the organisation of public events in all participating countries, it creates transnational structures for European literature.

26 member-institutions belong to the network of HALMA in Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, Serbia, Slovenia and Wales.

HALMA awards scholarships for writers, translators and promoters of literature lasting for two months and organises their stay in at least two different host countries. Each grant holder receives 1000 Euro a month and is granted a travel budget of 750 Euro total. At the end of the scholarship, every holder may publish via the HALMA network.

In the library all texts are available which are produced in the context of HALMA. The HALMA essays of the grant holders are also published here.

In name and idea the network follows the board game "Halma" (from Greek: jump), which requires a skilful change of location. The more players are involved, the more multifarious and far-reaching each move becomes. The objective is not to eject opposing pieces from the game, but to use these pieces to move from one’s own house to another. In this way Halma aims to make European ideas and regions accessable, and bring together people from different nations with their various historical, political, and biographical experiences.