What We Do

Outside in World (OIW) is a UK organisation dedicated to promoting and exploring children’s books in translation.

The OIW website is a major, well-respected resource on international children's literature which features: an extensive database of translated titles in English with reviews added regularly. We have over 2,000 translated books featured on our website Book Browse.

There are dedicated sections for key users, including educators, librarians and academics and
publishers, translators and booksellers  and our Windows on the World, a gallery of international children’s book illustrations

We run projects, workshops and seminars and work in partnerships with other organisations.

The Outside In World Children’s Books in Translation Collection is now housed at the University of Portsmouth Library as part of the Near and Far World Books Collection.  Books continue to be added to it each year and we are working in partnership with the University of Portsmouth on projects and events around the collection.  

We are also working in partnership with the University of Reading on a series of Webinars around children’s books in translation.


Our Past Projects and Research

Reading the Way: Inclusive Books from Around the World (2014/15). In this innovative project, we researched and reviewed children’s books from around the world which were exceptional in being inclusive of people with additional needs and/or accessible for readers with additional needs. Our report on the research provided valuable data, identified examples of good practice, and offered ideas for creating inclusive and accessible books.

The next stage was Reading the Way 2 (2016/18), a workshop programme that explored in deeper detail several books discovered in the first project, with the participation of leading UK and international authors and artists, including former Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson.

In the Reading Round the World (2009) we delivered a programme of 43 interactive around England, featuring 15 international children’s authors and illustrators, who introduced UK children to a wide range of diverse books and their creators.