TEHRAN -- A U.S.-based Iranian foundation, Translation Project, plans to translate 100 top Iranian literary works into world’s mostly spoken languages.

The Translation Project’s long-term vision is to form an international committee of scholars, writers, and other advisors to choose 100 Iranian literary texts of consequence and to commission highest level translations into major world languages such as Mandarin, Russian, Arabic, French, English, etc.

Poet-cum-editor Roshanak Bigonah, playwright-director Nahid Mozaffari, and poet Richard Jeffrey Newman are some of the scholars and experts of Persian language who are contributing to the project.

Established in 2003, the foundation aims to increase the visibility of contemporary Iranian literature on the world stage and to create a greater opportunity for Iranian writers to win international fame and above all the Nobel Prize.

They also seek partners to create a Persian poetry for dummies-style book that traces Persian poetry from its classical roots to today’s work and breaks it down for all audiences. This book can serve second-generation Iranians, students, and poetry enthusiasts.