The "one book per country" challenge has become one of the internet's most beloved reading projects. It's ambitious — 195 countries — but deeply rewarding. Here's how to approach it.
Getting Started
Start with regions you're curious about, not alphabetically. The challenge reveals how uneven the translation landscape is — some countries have dozens of great options, others have almost nothing available in your language. Well-served countries: France, Russia, Japan, Germany, Spain, Brazil — dozens of options. Underserved countries: Most of Central Asia, much of the Pacific — look for anthologies like The Penguin Book of the Ocean for Pacific Islands. Key resources: Ann Morgan's A Year of Reading the World (she did this in a year), World Literature Today magazine, and the Read the World map on this site. Tip: Focus on novels and story collections — avoid travel writing, which often centers the foreign gaze rather than native voices.
Use the Genesis of Literary world map to track your reading.