Words without Borders

What Words without Borders does

Words Without Borders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary organization founded in 2003 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. Its core function is the publication of a free digital magazine featuring contemporary world literature in English translation across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and graphic literature, sourced from more than 200 international writers annually and organised by genre, country, theme, and contributor. The organization reaches hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide through its web platform, email newsletters, and social channels (Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook). Beyond publishing, WWB runs the WWB Campus education program (delivering classroom-ready resources to educators and students globally), hosts literary events, administers paid fellowships and grants for emerging translators, and confers the Ottaway Award for the Promotion of International Literature annually.

The underlying technology is a self-hosted digital content publishing platform with no public API or SDK, organized around curated editorial issues and a contributor archive. Distribution is primarily self-serve and global, with both consumer (readers) and institutional (educators, schools) audiences. There is no mobile app and no programmatic integration surface; monetization operates entirely outside product sales.

The business model is nonprofit fundraising rather than commercial revenue. More than one-third of annual budget comes from individual reader donations, supported by suggested tiers of $25, $50, $100, and $250. The remainder is sourced from fellowships, grants, and educational program support — a recent disclosed example being a $25,000 grant from the Poetry Foundation (2024-06-05) and a $50,000 gift via Karen Collias / Knowledge Without Borders to establish a Berlin-based fellowship with CIEE (announced 2026-03-03). All content is free to readers; the model depends on community and institutional support rather than price-based monetization.

Name

Words without Borders

Legal name

Words Without Borders

Website

https://wordswithoutborders.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Words Without Borders is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2003 that publishes a free digital magazine of contemporary world literature in English translation, serving global readers, educators, and translation professionals through digital content, fellowships, and the WWB Campus education program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Literary Translation Publishing

NAICS

Other Publishers (51319)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

OER Authoring, Remixing & Publishing Tools/Platforms (EDAGAJAM), Open Access Scholarly Journals & Monographs (EDAGAFAJ)

Keywords

• Literary translation publishing
• International literature
• Digital literary magazine
• World literature in translation
• Literary nonprofit programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations from readers: Individual donations from readers make up more than a third of WWB's annual budget. The organization relies on community support to publish and promote innovative writing in translation, train educators, and provide fair compensation to writers, translators, editors, and support staff.
2. Fellowships and grants: Paid fellowships and grants support the next generation of translation professionals, contributing to the growth and diversity of the field. These include various prizes such as the Ottaway Award.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Words Without Borders is a nonprofit literary organization that publishes a free online digital magazine featuring contemporary world literature translated into English. The organization curates, commissions, and presents fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama from authors around the world, supplemented by an educational program and live literary events.

Product overview

Words Without Borders operates as a nonprofit literary organization offering a unified platform for international literature. Its core offerings include a free digital magazine publishing translated works from over 200 international writers annually, WWB Campus (an education program providing classroom-ready global literature and multimedia resources for students and educators), literary events, and paid fellowships/grants for emerging translation professionals. The digital magazine features content organized by genre (Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Drama, Graphic Literature), country, theme, and contributor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WWB Campus: Education program connecting students and educators to global literature with classroom-ready resources and multimedia materials

Products and services

• Words Without Borders Digital Magazine
• WWB Campus (Educational Program) An educational program that provides teachers, students, and academic institutions with curriculum resources, lesson plans, and access to translated international literature for classroom use.
• Literary Events and Festivals Live and virtual literary events featuring readings, conversations, and panels with international authors and translators, presented to the public and partner institutions.
• Translation Commissions and Author Support A program that commissions new English translations of international literary works and pays translators and authors, supporting the production of original translated content for the magazine and educational resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ international writers published annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026CIEE and Karen Collias, founder of Knowledge Without Borders, announced a $50,000 gift to establish the Knowledge Without Borders: Democracy and Memory Fellowship, supporting first-generation, Pell-eligible undergraduate students in a 12-week Berlin-based study abroad program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Paris Review: Iconic literary magazine publishing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and interviews. Comparable as a digital-first literary magazine with a global contributor set and educational outreach to writers and readers.
• Granta: Long-running literary magazine featuring international writers and translated works. Comparable as a literary periodical with global contributors, themed issues, and brand authority in literary translation.
• Asymptote Journal: Online international literary journal focused on translation. Comparable as a digital-first platform publishing translated fiction, poetry, and nonfiction from a global contributor base, with overlapping audience and contributor pool.
• Restless Books: Independent publisher of international and translated literature for adults and young readers. Comparable as a translation-focused literary publisher with a curated global catalog and similar audience of culturally curious readers.
• Open Letter Books: University of Rochester-affiliated publisher of international literature in translation. Comparable as a translation-first literary publisher with a deep international catalog and similar curatorial mission.
• Archipelago Books: A nonprofit literary publisher devoted to international literature in translation. Most directly comparable peer: nonprofit model, translation focus, mission-driven curatorial approach, and overlap with WWB's contributor and reader base.
• Fitzcarraldo Editions: Independent literary publisher known for translated fiction and nonfiction. Comparable as a translation-led literary publisher whose catalog overlaps with WWB's editorial focus on contemporary international writers.
• McSweeney's: Independent literary publisher producing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Comparable as a mission-driven literary publisher with a similarly global editorial lens and engaged literary readership.

Others

• PEN America: Literary and free-expression nonprofit with overlapping donor base and translation advocacy mission. Comparable thematically as a cultural nonprofit advocating for international writers, though its primary activities center on literary freedom rather than publishing.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Crossing: Amazon's translation-focused publishing imprint, the largest commercial player in English translation. Comparable as a publisher of international literature in English, but operates at vastly greater commercial scale and competes for translated-title attention.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wwborders
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/wwborders
• Facebookfacebook.com/wordswithoutborders
• Instagraminstagram.com/wwborders
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/words-without-borders

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Words without Borders