The EU Ambassadors Book Collection

About This Project

In the context of America's 250th birthday, the "EU Ambassadors Book Collection: Words That Unite, Stories That Connect" celebrates ties between Americans and Europeans and highlights Europe’s literary heritage.

The EU Ambassador and the 27 EU Member State Ambassadors donated a hard copy of an English-translated book from their country that reflects its national spirit or connections to the U.S. The initiative honors shared history while investing in a future shaped by empathy and mutual respect, and it reaffirms the European Union and the United States’ commitment to literacy, cultural exchange, and the power of stories to bring people together.

Together, the donated volumes form a collective gift symbolizing friendship and the power of ideas to transcend borders.

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“I have always believed that books are one of the most meaningful forms of diplomacy. Long before we meet one another, we encounter each other through stories — through the characters, histories, humor, and values that shape our societies. This collection invites American readers to discover Europe not through headlines or politics, but through literature. It is both a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary and a tribute to the enduring friendship between Europeans and Americans.”

Jovita Neliupšienė, EU Ambassador to the United States.

Austria: “The Marshall Plan - Since 1947. Saving Europe, Rebuilding Austria” (2017) by Günter Bischof & Hans Petschar

Belgium: “Maigret in New York” (1947) by Georges Simenon (Translated by Linda Coverdale)

Bulgaria: “Time Shelter” (2022) by Georgi Gospodinov (Translated by Angela Rodel)

Croatia: “The Goldsmith's Treasure” (1871) by August Šenoa

Cyprus: “American Dreams: The Story of the Cyprus Fulbright Commission” (2024) by Keith E. Peterson

Czech Republic: “Václav Havel: The Power of the Powerless in the 20th Century” (2023) by Martin Vopěnka

Denmark: “The Copenhagen Trilogy” (1971) by Tove Ditlevsen

Estonia: “Silverwhite” (1976) by Lennart Meri (Translated by Adam Cullen)

Finland: “Beasts of the Sea” (2025) by Iida Turpeinen (Translated by David Hackston)

France: “Democracy in America” (1835) by Alexis de Tocqueville (Translated by Arthur Goldhammer)

Germany: “The Long Road West,” Volume I 1789-1933 & Volume II 1933-1990 (2007) by Heinrich August Winkler

Greece: “The Iliad” (approx. 8th century BCE) by Homer (Translated by Peter Green)

Hungary: “Embers” (1942) by Sándor Márai (Translated in Carol Brown Janeway)

Ireland: “Outside History” (1990) by Eavan Boland

Italy: “A Thousand Wonders: A Journey to Discover Italy” (2020) and “A Thousand Wonders in Blue: Discovering Italy by Sea” (2023) by Geronimo Stilton (2023)

Latvia: “Birkerts. Libraries. Light.” Birkerts’ Centenary Edition (2025) by Latvian National Library Support Foundation

Lithuania: “White Shroud” (2018) by Antanas Skema (Translated by Karla Gruodis)

Luxembourg: “Luxembourg-America, 19th, 20th and 21st Centuries” (2015) by Georges Calteux, Paul Dostert, Ferdy Dumon, Jean Esch, Carlo Krieger, Paul Lesch, Sandra Schmit, Guy Thomas, Pauline Weis

Malta: “Diplomat by Destiny” (2025) by George Saliba

Netherlands: “Bells for America: The Cold War, Modernism, and the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington” (2021) by Diederik Oostdijk

Poland: “The Peasant Prince: Thaddeus Kosciuszko and the Age of Revolution” (2009) by Alex Storozynski

Portugal: “Above the Salt” (2023) by Katherine Vaz

Romania: “The Hooligan's Return: A Memoir” (2003) by Norman Manea (Translated by Angela Jianu)

Slovakia: “Sergeant Michael Strank: Mary (Strank) Pero’s Memory Book of Her Brother” (2009) by Bruce Bauer and Carol Bauer

Slovenia: “The Complete Plays” (2012) by Ivan Cankar

Spain: “The Revolt of the Masses” (1937) by José Ortega y Gasset

Sweden: “Swede Hollow” (2019) by Ola Larsmo (Translated by Tiina Nunnally)

European Union: “Memoirs” (1978) by Jean Monnet (Translated by Richard Mayne)