Esperanto literature: original works and translations

Esperanto literature is the body of books written in or translated into Esperanto since 1887. It includes original poetry, novels and drama – by authors such as Kálmán Kalocsay, Julio Baghy and William Auld – and translations of world classics, from Hamlet (1894) and the Bible (1926) to The Lord of the Rings (1995–97). Estimates of the total number of titles range from about 10,000 to over 25,000; no complete count exists.

Literature mattered from the start. Zamenhof translated plays and stories himself to prove that the language could carry serious art, not just letters and phrasebooks.

#How did Esperanto literature begin?

Zamenhof was the first major author. Before and after publishing the language in 1887 he translated extensively to test and enrich it. His Hamleto (Shakespeare's Hamlet) appeared in 1894. In 1903 he compiled the Fundamenta Krestomatio, an anthology of model texts published by Hachette in Paris, which became a stylistic reference for decades.

Early translators included Antoni Grabowski, whose Esperanto version of Adam Mickiewicz's Polish epic Pan Tadeusz (Sinjoro Tadeo) appeared in Warsaw in 1918. Zamenhof also wrote the poem La Espero, which became the movement's anthem – see flag and symbols.

#What was the Budapest school?

Between the world wars Budapest became the centre of Esperanto literature. The magazine Literatura Mondo ("Literary World") appeared in three periods – 1922–27, 1931–38 and 1947–49 – and its editors set new standards for poetry and prose.

Baghy's suggestion that Zamenhof's birthday should also celebrate books lives on as Zamenhof Day and Esperanto Book Day on 15 December.

#What was the Scottish school?

After 1945 a new generation of poets emerged in Britain. In 1952 four of them – William Auld, John Dinwoodie, John Francis and Reto Rossetti – published the joint collection Kvaropo ("Quartet") with the Spanish publisher Stafeto. Critics call them the "Scottish school".

William Auld (1924–2006) is widely regarded as the most important Esperanto poet. His long poem La infana raso ("The Infant Race", 1956) is a cycle about humanity's history and future, and he later translated The Lord of the Rings. Marjorie Boulton (1924–2017), an English poet and scholar, published Kontralte (1955) and a biography of Zamenhof.

#Was an Esperanto writer nominated for the Nobel Prize?

Yes, according to the nominating organisations. The Esperanto PEN Centre and the Esperanto writers' association (EVA) reported nominating William Auld for the Nobel Prize in Literature from 1999 until his death in 2006; obituaries name the years 1999, 2004 and 2006. After him, Baldur Ragnarsson (Iceland) was put forward in 2007, and Marjorie Boulton from 2008 until her death in 2017.

These claims cannot yet be checked independently: the Nobel Foundation keeps nominations secret for 50 years. No Esperanto writer has won.

The Esperanto PEN Centre was founded in 1991 and accepted into PEN International on 10 September 1993, at the PEN congress in Santiago de Compostela – formal recognition of Esperanto as a literary language.

#Which modern Esperanto books are best known?

For a full overview, the standard reference in English is Geoffrey Sutton's Concise Encyclopedia of the Original Literature of Esperanto (Mondial, 2008, 740 pages).

#Which great books have been translated into Esperanto?

Translations serve two purposes: they give readers access to world literature in one shared language, and they test what the language can express.

Zamenhof finished translating the Old Testament in 1915, two years before his death; the complete "London Bible" combining it with the committee's New Testament appeared in 1926.

#Who publishes Esperanto books today?

Esperanto publishing is small and international. Notable publishers and periodicals include:

• Stafeto (La Laguna, Spain) – run by Juan Régulo Pérez from 1952 to 1975; published 93 books, including Auld's and Boulton's poetry.
• Flandra Esperanto-Ligo (Antwerp) – books and the news magazine Monato, published since 1980.
• Sezonoj (Kaliningrad) – fiction, Tolkien, and the magazine La Ondo de Esperanto.
• Mondial (New York) – novels, the Sutton encyclopedia and the literary magazine Beletra Almanako (since 2007).
• Fonto (Brazil) – Gerda malaperis! and Dondi's Divine Comedy.
• The Universal Esperanto Association – the monthly magazine Esperanto, published since 1905, and a large book catalogue. See Esperanto organisations.

#How many books exist in Esperanto?

There is no reliable count. Published estimates vary widely:

• About 10,000 titles by around 2000 (EBSCO research overview).
• Over 25,000 books, an often repeated but unsourced figure.
• In May 2023 the UEA's Hector Hodler Library was transferred to the National Library of Poland, which described it as nearly 30,000 books, periodical yearbooks and boxes of photographs and recordings – a mixed count of items, not of books alone.
• The Department of Planned Languages of the Austrian National Library, founded in 1927 as the Esperanto Museum, holds about 45,000 printed volumes and 4,500 periodical titles, documenting about 500 planned languages including Esperanto.

A cautious summary: Esperanto has published tens of thousands of titles, of which a few thousand are original literary works.

#Common questions

#Is there original literature in Esperanto?

Yes. Since the 1890s, writers have published original poetry, novels, short stories and plays. Major authors include Kálmán Kalocsay, Julio Baghy, William Auld, Marjorie Boulton and Trevor Steele.

#Who is the most famous Esperanto writer?

The Scottish poet William Auld (1924–2006) is most often named, for La infana raso (1956) and his reported Nobel nominations. Among novelists, Julio Baghy and István Nemere are widely read.

#Has the Bible been translated into Esperanto?

Yes. The New Testament was published in 1912 and the complete Bible, with Zamenhof's Old Testament translation, in 1926.

#Is The Lord of the Rings available in Esperanto?

Yes. William Auld's translation, La Mastro de l' Ringoj, was published in 1995–97, with a second edition in 2007.

#What is a good first book to read in Esperanto?

Claude Piron's Gerda malaperis! (1983) is written for learners: each chapter adds new vocabulary and grammar inside a detective story. It is widely used in courses and is sold in print. For books you can legally read for free, see our reading list.

#Sources

• Wikipedia, Kálmán Kalocsay, Julio Baghy, William Auld, Marjorie Boulton, Baldur Ragnarsson, Trevor Steele, Jan Fethke
• Vikipedio, Literatura Mondo, Kvaropo, Stafeto, Gerda malaperis!
• Wikipedia, Esperanto PEN Centre and Vikipedio, Esperanta PEN-Centro
• Index.hr, "Esperantski pisci za Nobelovu nagradu nominirali Williama Aulda", 4 February 2003
• Wikipedia, Bible translations into Esperanto and Translations of The Lord of the Rings
• Project Gutenberg, Fundamenta Krestomatio and Hamleto
• Austrian National Library, Department of Planned Languages
• Lustro Biblioteki, UEA library transferred to the National Library of Poland, May 2023
• EBSCO Research Starters, Esperanto
• Geoffrey Sutton, Concise Encyclopedia of the Original Literature of Esperanto, Mondial, 2008