To coincide with International Translation Day, the author Mark Haddon and the translator and author Jennifer Croft have launched the #TranslatorsOnTheCover campaign, in collaboration with the UK Society of Authors, for translators to be routinely credited on book covers.

So far, over 1,500 writers have signed the following open letter:

For too long, we’ve taken translators for granted. It is thanks to translators that we have access to world literatures past and present. It is thanks to translators that we are not merely isolated islands of readers and writers talking amongst ourselves, hearing only ourselves.

 Translators are the life-blood of both the literary world and the book trade which sustains it. They should be properly recognised, celebrated and rewarded for this. The first step towards doing this seems an obvious one. 

From now on we will be asking, in our contracts and communications, that our publishers ensure, whenever our work is translated, that the name of the translator appears on the front cover.